Virtual World
by Angel Dove1
Summary: Kaiba is close to successfully running his virtual reality without any problems. While testing the Knight's Quest, he finds a glitch that traps him inside. Mokuba attempts to manually exit him from the world when everything goes wrong forcing him to call for Yugi and Jounouchi for help. Will they be able to get Kaiba out and what will happen when they do? Yaoi(MaleXMale)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh

Here it is. Finally I'm uploading the story that started everything. I started this story about a month after my last uploaded story explaining that I needed some time to work through my depression. It took me forever to get at least halfway through the story and when I finally did, that was when "Man of my dreams" popped into my mind. I wrote that one quickly and moved back to this story. When I was on the second to last chapter, "The Elevator" stuck its way into my mind. Finally I managed to finish this story and now I'm typing it up and editing as I go.

This story is based off a suggestion made by Phanatically

Again this story is dedicated to all of you in gratitude for your support

Warnings: Language, Violence, Yaoi (MaleXMale) if you don't like it please don't read this story.

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Chapter One

"Seto, I wish you would scrap this project. Why must you continue to test it when it's left nothing but misery after each usage?"

Kaiba sighed and moved his hand along the identification pad to open the lid of the virtual reality pod. "Mokuba, we've been over this. The threats have been eliminated and the system has been completely reconstructed. No one had access to this besides me and my most trusted programmers. There is nothing to fear."

Mokuba moved over to the control panel, pushing a few buttons and causing the machines to awaken and hum. Kaiba eased himself into the pod and placed the glasses over his eyes. He glanced over at Mokuba, who still had worry written all over his face. "Nii-sama, I don't want you going in their alone. We can phone Yugi and ask him to join you. I know that you trust him, and I know he can help you if something goes wrong."

The brunet took the glasses off and to look at his brother clearly. "I will not have him coming with me. I don't need Yugi's help with my own invention. I have constructed more firewalls and reinforced the anti-hacking software. Now start the program."

The raven haired teen sighed and reached for the handle. He waited until his brother had the glasses back on before pushing the button that shut the pod. He selected the pre-programmed game and prayed that nothing would harm his brother this time. Pulling down the handle, he watched has the pod came to life, separating Kaiba's subconscious mind from his body. The monitor behind Mokuba came to life as he watched his brother's character entering into the forest area directly outside of the main village.

Kaiba glanced around at the forest, happy that graphics were better than the original. He reached for the sword that should have been at his waist. He glanced down at his clothes. "Mokuba, did you select the wrong program?"

"No, Nii-sama, I selected the Knight Quest," Mokuba's voice echoed through the forest. The teen double checked everything. "Everything is set for that quest, but the clothes you are wearing isn't the ones shown on the main consol. I think you should leave the game and let's try again."

Kaiba stretched out his left arm in front of him and opened the device attached to his wrist. He selected the menu and scrolled down until he reached the end. "The exit button isn't on the menu. Do it manually. Apparently this is the glitch the programmers were talking about."

Mokuba turned to the computer behind him and glanced through his menu. "Seto, it's not on here either. What do I do?"

"Stay calm. It's probably just the glitch. I'm going to enter the main village and save first. Maybe the exit field will return after that. Keep an eye on it and once you see it, exit me out."

"But, Seto, I won't be able to watch you."

"Don't worry about me. Just keep an eye on that field."

"Alright. Be careful."

Kaiba took another glance down at himself, noticing that he was wearing the same thing that the villagers would be wearing. "I never programmed a character that would be a villager," he thought as he walked down the pathway and into the village. The program so far was acting normal besides the wrong outfit and the exit field being missing. The clothing wasn't a problem at the moment and the exit field disappearing had him slightly worried, but he knew that if anything Mokuba could pull the plug on the pod. It wouldn't be a pleasant experience returning to his body that way, but it was an option. For now, he'll continue with the game until the menu showed.

Nearing the village, he noticed that all the NPC's were in their proper positions except for one character. He glanced about, wondering if he was frozen or another glitch was activating. He moved away from the inn that was the location for his save and into the village square by the fountain where the character should be standing. "Mokuba, the NPC that gets captured by..." he said just as a dragon swings down and grabs him by the waist.

Mokuba turned to the screen and watched as his brother was taken away by Thousand Dragon. "That wasn't supposed to happen. The dragon was supposed to take the villager by the fountain. Oh, I guess you're that villager." The raven haired teen glanced back and noticed that the exit field was still not there.

Kaiba sighed and allowed the dragon to carry him off to the nest. "Okay, Mokuba, time to pull the plug. I need to get back to my body so I can research this."

He glanced back at Kaiba who now had his arms crossed at the chest and looked bored with the dragon still carrying him. Mokuba would have laughed if it weren't for the worry edging inside of him. Something clearly was wrong with the program. He walked over to Kaiba's body and climb behind the device. When he reached for it, electricity shot through it and his body. He screamed as his body was launched against the other pod.

"Mokuba!" Kaiba shouted. Something clearly was happening to his little brother. He only had a few seconds to think before electric shocks ran through his body and the dragon's. The pain was intense and caused the dragon to drop him. As he fell, he noticed that he was slowly losing consciousness, something that shouldn't happen in the game. He managed to stay awake long enough for him to feel someone or something catching him.

Mokuba awoke several hours later. The cord he was trying to pull still had shocks of electricity moving around it. He didn't dare touch it again. He staggered to his feet and looked into the pod. His brother was still breathing, but it looked like he was still in the game. He placed his hand against his head, attempting to ease the headache. Moving over to the consol, he looked for the exit again before turning back to the screen. The screen was black. "Seto!" he shouted.

"He won't be able to hear you at this moment," a robotic voice echoed around the lab.

"Who are you?'

"I wouldn't waste time figuring out who I am. I think you should be more concerned about the man I hold."

"What have you done to him?"

"It was you who caused the electrical shock and added the surge that gave birth to me and given me this delicious person. Oh look, he's waking."

Mokuba watched as the black monitor slowly flickered to life. The image was fuzzy for a few minutes before the room became clear. It slowly zoomed out and he could see Seto sitting on a stone floor with his back against the wall. There wasn't anything in the room but a shadow by the door. "Seto?"

"Who's there? Where am I?" He leaned forward and placed his hand on his head. "Who am I?"

"Seto?" Mokuba tried again.

"Who is or what is Seto?"

"Seto, that's you. Don't you remember?"

He shook his head as the shadow laughed. "This makes everything a hundred times better. He doesn't even remember who he is or who you are." The figure moved from the shadows. The pointy ear man held a red sword in his chubby hand. He tipped his hand to his new prey.

"Baron the Fiend Sword," Mokuba gasped. "You aren't supposed to be in the game."

"Game?" Kaiba questioned, finally getting a better view of where he was and who was standing in front of him. He seen this creature talking, but he couldn't see the other person he heard.

The chubby man chuckled and walked over to Kaiba. "Yes, game. You are in your own game and can't remember it. But, that doesn't matter now. You are mine forever." Baron raised his sword and stabbed it through Kaiba's shoulder. The brunet hissed and reached up to the blade, wrapping his fingers around it, attempting to pull it out of his shoulder.

"Seto!" Mokuba screamed, watching as his brother's white tunic stained with his blood. He ran over to the pod, determined to pull the plug this time. He moved around the front and noticed a red stain in the same location that Kaiba's character got stabbed. He placed his hands on the glass, seeing the blood slowly soak his clothes. "How is that possible?"

Baron laughed as he pulled the sword out of Kaiba, watching as his captive clenched his shoulder. "You are more than welcomed to come in here and save him. All you have to do is find me. Well, find me before he dies." He pressed his foot into Kaiba's wounded shoulder, not caring that he was smashing the man's fingers. "I'll give you two hours before the torture begins. That should give you plenty of time to find this location. There are no guarantees that you could make it inside safely." He moved away from Kaiba and out of the cell.

Kaiba leaned forward slightly, breathing heavily. "Seto? Are you okay?"

The brunet nodded before standing up. He walked over to the barred window and glanced out. "What is this place?"

"You are inside of a virtual reality world that you created. Don't worry. I'm going to come in and save you. We'll figure out how to get your memories back after that. Can you tell me what you see outside?" Mokuba glanced up at the digital clock that appeared after Baron left. It was slowly counting down the minutes.

"There's nothing but trees way below me. I hear an ocean. It echoes like your voice. Why can't I see you?"

"I'm in the real world. I'm coming in after you."

"Do you have friends?"

"What?"

"There are numerous bizarre birds perched on the tops of several trees. If he's right about this place, you won't be able to make it inside without help."

"I know someone that could help, but if you were normal, you wouldn't want him helping us."

Kaiba sat down with his back against the wall. "If it means getting out of here, I don't see the problem."

"You are taking this virtual reality thing surprisingly easy."

"Something about it sounds familiar. I know it means that even though I see and feel everything here, it's not real. My real body is out there with you. I can remember a lot of things, but I don't remember my life outside of this place. Will I be able to talk to you when you enter?"

"No. I won't be able to see you either." Mokuba walked over to the phone. "Why?"

"Your voice sounds soothing. I feel relieved when I hear it. Like I'm happy you're okay."

"I am your little brother. You always protect me. Maybe that's your instincts."

"I don't know. Something is screaming inside of me that doesn't want you coming inside this place." Kaiba frowned when he didn't get an answer. "Are you still there?"

"Hold on one second, Seto. I'm calling Yugi."

"Kame Game Shop."

"Yugi?"

"Mokuba? It's been awhile. How are you?"

"There's no time to catch up. My brother is trapped in the virtual reality world and I can't get it to release him. I need your help."

"I'm on my way. Jounouchi is here with me. Do you want me to bring him along?"

"That would be good. Is any of your other friends there?"

"Anzu is touring with her ballet group and Honda is at work. Where are you?"

"In the basement of Kaiba Corp. I'll have Isono escort you down." Mokuba hung up the phone and quickly dialed Isono's number, informing him that Jounouchi and Yugi would be coming and to bring them down to the lab. Mokuba quickly moved back to the screen. "I have two people coming. Hang in there, Seto."

"What is your name?"

"Mokuba."

"Sounds familiar. Who's coming?"

"Yugi and Jounouchi."

"Jounouchi, now that sounds very familiar. Is he a friend of mine?"

"Far from it. You and Jounouchi don't get along, but Jounouchi tries to make amends with you. Yugi is your rival and Jounouchi is his best friend."

The raven haired teen moved over to the pod and sighed with relief. The shirt Kaiba was wearing was dry. The blood had stopped flowing. "I'm tired, Mokuba."

He glanced up at the screen again. It was odd that he would feel tired. He shouldn't be feeling anything like that. Everything wasn't making sense. "Get some rest, Seto. Before you know it, we'll have you out of there."

"Okay." Kaiba leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes.

Mokuba muted his own microphone so that when the others arrived they wouldn't wake his brother. He walked up to the screen and placed his hand over the image of his brother. "I'll get you out. I promise."

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I hope you liked the first chapter. We have a long ways to go until the end. I hope everyone sticks around until the very end. Thank you all for reading. Please review.

Angel Dove


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for your kind reviews. I know this is different for me and will appear to go one direction but everything will tie together at the end. I promise.

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Chapter Two

The door to the lap opened and Jounouchi stormed in first followed closely by Yugi. "When is he going to give up this stupid reality world bullshit? I'm sick of rescuing his stupid ass from whoever wants to control him."

"Jounouchi, settle down. We don't even know the severity of the situation yet." Yugi turned to Mokuba. "I'm sorry. He got upset when he heard that Kaiba was trapped again."

Jounouchi stomped over to the pod and glared at the CEO. "For a genius you are the stupidest person I know! I can give you getting trapped once and even twice but a third time. You need to learn how to let this go. I understand that this technology could make Kaiba number one for years, but this is ridiculous."

"You do realize that he can't hear you," Mokuba mumbled, still watching his brother sleep.

Jounouchi placed his hands on his hips and walked over to Mokuba. "Maybe somewhere in his mind he'll remember me screaming at him. Honestly, Mokuba, what was he thinking?"

The raven haired teen sighed and glanced over at the loud-mouthed blond. "He added so many defenses this time that it was sure to be secured. I believed him."

Yugi placed his hand on Mokuba's shoulder. "Where is he?"

"In a castle high above a forest. He could hear waves crashing with a shore but can't see it."

"What happened?"

"We were testing the knight's quest of the program. When he was uploaded to the game, he came through dressed like the villager that gets captured by a dragon during the first part of the game. You're supposed to rescue him before receiving your knighthood. There must have been a glitch with the game. He said something about the programmers mentioning a glitch. When he tried to exit in order to fix the glitch, he noticed that there was no exit menu, which would make sense since NPC's can't leave the game. He tried walking to the inn thinking that if he saved his game it would trigger another glitch and he could logout. He didn't make it that far before the dragon captured him. He told me to unplug him which would have hurt a little, but he would have exited the program. When I tried to unplug the pod, an electric shock ran through me, knocking me and Seto's character temporarily unconscious."

Mokuba moved over to the pod. "Now there are electric waves around the plug. I don't want try again for fear that something horrible would happen to Seto. When I came to, I noticed that the viewing screen was black and a voice came out of the system telling me that I gave him life with the electric shock and he took Seto. When Seto woke up, he was in that room with Baron the Fiend Sword and no memories of who he is. Baron stabbed him before he left and the wound not only appeared on Seto's character but on his real body. Baron gave me two hours to find him before he starts torturing Seto. That's the countdown clock in the upper right corner of the screen. I managed to fix the knight's quest while you were on your way. The code for the warrior and the code for the villager were the same. Seto could have accidentally done that while he was working on it this morning. He's been very tired lately. In my opinion, that would be the reason why he's sleeping now. It seems like his physical and character bodies are now linked."

Jounouchi frowned. "That doesn't sound like Kaiba. He doesn't usually miss something like that," the blond said with less anger in his voice.

"Seto hasn't been himself for a month now. He's been working hard on getting this ready. When he does come home, he spends most of the night writing down something in a journal that he refuses to let me read. He probably sleeps about an hour or two every night. I wanted him to spend today resting, but he insisted on testing the knight's quest. He thought it would be ready. You do realize that by going in there I don't know what will happen to you. Baron invited me and any allies I have in, but it could be a trap. The game could glitch again and lock us in there also."

Yugi smiled softly at him. "That's why you are staying out here and we are going in."

"No, I need to save Seto."

"You will by helping us from out here. That way if something does go wrong you could contact Anzu and Honda."

Mokuba sighed and nodded. "That sounds like a better plan than what I had. Get into the pods and place the glasses on. The switch to open them is on the left side. I'll get your information inputted into the computer." The two nodded and moved over to the empty pods while the raven haired teen switched the microphone back on. "Seto?"

The brunet flinched and slowly opened his eyes. "I just wanted to let you know that Yugi and Jounouchi are entering the game now."

"How long do we have?"

Mokuba glanced at the clock. "One hour and thirty seven minutes."

"You're not coming in as well."

"No. I'll be more help on this end. Just hang in there, Seto. We'll get you out."

Kaiba leaned his head back against the wall and slowly closed his eyes again. Mokuba bit his lip and glanced over at Yugi and Jounouchi. He hit the switch to lower the pods and quickly uploaded them to the game. He turned on the second screen so he could watch both Kaiba and Yugi and Jounouchi games. He switched the microphone off again to his brother's game and put a headset on for Yugi and Jounouchi.

Jounouchi glanced down at himself. He had a long green cape and wore black pants with a long black shirt. The large silver sword rested beside his left hip. He wore a helmet which he quickly took off and threw on the ground. "I guess I'm the warrior." He glanced over at Yugi wearing a dark blue tunic. He had a bow in his hand and the quiver was hanging over his right shoulder.

He blinked. "I'm an archer? Mokuba, don't you have spellcastors?"

Baby Dragon walked out from behind a bush and stood in front of them. "Sorry," he said with Mokuba's voice. "Nii-sama has only finished the warrior and archer characters. The archer has healing spells. I wanted one of you to have that."

"I thought we told you to stay out of game," Jounouchi said, picking the small dragon up.

"I am. I'm controlling Baby Dragon remotely. This way I can help and communicate with you at the same time."

Jounouchi pushed the dragon into Yugi's arms. "You're carrying him."

"You do know I can fly."

Yugi chuckled and wrapped his arms around him. "You feel like a soft stuffed animal."

"How disgusting. Let go!" Baby Dragon spread his wings and flapped just as Yugi released him. He floated above their hands. "The first part would be the village. I don't think you'll have to fight Thousand Dragon since he already took Seto. On the other side of the village is a forest and that's were we start the adventure. There should be no enemies until we reach that point.

Jounouchi pulled his sword out and sliced through a nearby bush. "The graphics are much better than last time. We fight ourselves instead of with duel monsters?"

"That's correct. Nii-sama wanted more of a RPG game. On your gauntlet is your menu. You start off on level five and go up from there depending on how many monsters you beat. You can use any trap or magic cards ever invented, but you have to earn them first. You start off with two trap cards and two magic cards, and they depend on what character you are. You can buy more from the villages along the way with the money you earn from defeating monsters. After you use them, they go in a held file where they recharge. Depending on the strength of the card will depend on how fast it comes back. Weak spells and traps come back faster."

"How do you know if they are weak or strong?" Jounouchi asked, flipping through his cards on the menu.

"Seto put star levels on them much like monster cards. Depending how quick the spell is will determine what star level they get. For example, Magical Hats is strong where as De-Spell is weak. Magical Hats has properties that hide you from enemies and can last for a long time. De-Spell removes traps from you character and only lasts for a second."

"I see. Like Mirror Force would be weak where as Spell Binding Circle would be stronger," Yugi said.

"Correct. Equip cards could also be bought at villages and you can only use ones that go with your character. The Equip cards help strength your weapon. In the menu you can see how many life points each attack will cost the monsters. Every weapon starts off at five hundred points. Some of the monsters you'll run into will take one hit while some will take several. This first village here doesn't sell any cards until later in the game when you return, so there won't be a point stopping at the shops."

Yugi flipped through the rest of the menu and smiled. "It looks like you fixed the glitch. There is an exit menu."

"Good. At least we know you two can escape if needed. And one more thing before we begin. The attack and defense points on the duel monsters in the game does not necessary reflect that of the cards. Since Seto wanted to be able to use monsters that would be in their element, he developed a program that would increase their attack power depending on what level you are on and how many people in your party. He didn't want people being discouraged by being killed with one hit. For example, not that this would happen, but if we ran into the Blue Eyes White Dragon in the forest right after the village, its attack points won't be the 3000 points. It would be decreased to something like 1000 points since your health is at 1000 to start and it would be like a boss. And the amount of the life points you lose per attack does depend on its attack power so if you manage to hit the monster first and it hits you back it would be that new number. If there are any questions, I can answer them on the way, but I think we've wasted enough time introducing the game."

Jounouchi started walking down the forest path leading to the village. "You will be our clock as well. When there's only ten minutes left, you tell us, okay?"

"No problem. We are at one hour and twenty five minutes left."

Yugi placed his bow over his shoulder and walked side by side with Jounouchi. "Why do we look like ourselves instead of characters?"

"It's to make it more personal. Nii-sama is thinking about changing that for online play. You can chose if you look like yourself or make a character. He understands that some people don't like others knowing that they are playing a game. But, for private play, you'll always look like yourself unless he changes that option as well. He is still working on the character design."

The two and small dragon entered the village. People all wearing white tunics walked around the place. Signs from the various shops creaked in the wind. Various conversations surrounded them. Some were talking about the dragon that has been stealing people. Yugi glanced at the inn before walking further down the path and towards the fountain. He could smell the water flowing from top of the statue of a man and feel the sun beating down on them. "Everything feels so real," Jounouchi mumbled, dipping his fingers into the water.

"If you have experienced it in the real world then you know what it feels like in this world. The exit is this way."

The two followed the dragon and approached the edge of the village. As they drew near the end of the buildings and the thick forest, they noticed a small creature holding a shield and sword. Jounouchi reached for his own sword but Yugi placed his hand on his wrist. "It's Beaver Warrior. He might be on our side."

The beaver moved away from the wall and stood in their pathway. "Are you planning on crossing the forest?"

"We are."

"It's dangerous in there. Have you been trained?"

"We have," Jounouchi answered. "Are you going to let us pass?"

"I was planning on joining you. Any objections?"

Jounouchi frowned and glanced at Yugi. He wasn't too sure about having Beaver Warrior coming with them. He didn't know if he was part of a trap or would slow them down. Yugi seemed to be thinking over the options. He knew his friend would think of a thousand possibilities before answering. Yugi looked over at Jounouchi. "That's fine but if you slow us down we'll have to leave you behind. We are on our way to save a friend. We don't have much time," Yugi answered.

"You have my word that I will keep up with you."

Mokuba landed on Jounouchi's head. "There will be times that monsters will join your party to help you through the game. They usually match your character's class. Since we are in the knight's quest all our help will be warriors. I believe you can trust Beaver Warrior and any other character that offers their help. The more the merrier. From what Nii-sama says, there are numerous creatures guarding the castle."

"That's fine. Get off my head. You're heavy."

Mokuba grunted and purposely pushed off hard before flying around them again. They moved carefully through the dense forest. The air was cooler and barely and light made it through the thick trees. Yugi put the bow in his hand and nocked an arrow to have ready at any second. Jounouchi decided to follow Yugi's lead. He unsheathed his sword and held it at his side. Something moved in the distance, causing all of them to stop. Yugi nodded to his left and aimed his arrow. Surprisingly, it sailed smoothly through the air and hit a dark purple bat. The creature fell and landed with a thump on the forest ground. More bats flew out of their hiding spots and directly towards them.

"Dark Bats. We can kill them with one shot," Yugi shouted, aiming and shooting more arrows.

Both Beaver Warrior and Jounouchi ran towards their enemies, swinging their swords and killing them. Baby Dragon flew among the bats, blasting them with his fire balls. They managed to kill most of the bats before the rest of them flew off. Jounouchi pushed his blade into the ground gasping for breath. He didn't have time to rest before a large blue beast came out of nowhere. The monster took Jounouchi down, smashing him with the ground. Sticks jabbed into his back. He wrapped his legs around the beast and flipped it off him. Beaver Warrior ran over and slashed the monster's head off.

"Are you okay, Jounouchi?" Yugi asked, running over to him.

The blond glanced at his menu and sighed. "Yeah, he didn't attack me. Thanks, Beaver Warrior."

"That is why I'm here. I can see a clearing up ahead. I suggest we continue before other monsters attack us."

"I agree," Yugi said. "We need to press forward before we run out of time."

Baby Dragon flew directly above Yugi. "Can you carry me for some time? Seto is waking."

Yugi reached up and brought the dragon down to him. "We'll keep going until we reach the end of the forest. What is at the end?"

"It should be the Land of the Fairies. I'll still be watching you and will hear you. I just want to talk to Seto."

"Don't worry about it, Mokuba. Make sure he's okay." The three continued through the forest in the direction of the light, keeping their eyes open for any more movement.

Mokuba put the headset around his neck and moved over to the other microphone. "Seto? Do you feel better?"

The brunet groaned. "I'm sore, but fine."

"Yugi and Jounouchi are almost at the border to the Land of the Fairies. I don't know if you remember the game, but it's the first village outside of the forest area. I'm guess you are somewhere in the mountains, but they are getting closer."

"They won't make it in time."

"Don't say that."

"It's the truth, but that doesn't matter. I'm not going to give in to Baron."

"Don't give up, Seto. We'll get there. They are going faster than the bot player we had the other day."

"I'm not giving up. Just thinking rationally. I wish I could remember what you look like."

"Stop changing the subject, Seto." Mokuba heard his name being shouted from the headset. "What is it, Jounouchi?"

"You tell him that if he is dead when we get there, I'm going to bring him back to life just to kill him and then bring him back again."

Mokuba smiled softly. "Jounouchi says that if you give up and die he's going to bring you back to life and then kill you before bringing you back to life again."

Kaiba blinked. "That sounds horrible. Does he always say things like that?"

"Of course. You should try to get more rest. You look like shit."

"Thanks, I loved to hear something like that." He reached up and pressed his fingers against the wound in his shoulder. "I might. My body still feels exhausted and if I want to be strong enough to endure anything, I will need rest."

"I wish you would stop saying that. They just reached the end of forest and we have an hour left. They'll make it in time."

Kaiba got up and walked over to the window. "Let me think for awhile. Go help them."

"Seto?"

"I'm fine. They need your help, right?"

"It wouldn't hurt. Call me if you need something. I'll hear you."

Mokuba turned back to the others and linked back with Baby Dragon. "What is he doing?" Jounouchi asked immediately after the dragon started to fly on his own.

"He's mentally preparing for the torture. He seems to be acting like he did when we were children. He's worrying me. Let's move faster. The Land of the Fairies could give us the information we need to find Seto."

The dragon flew ahead. Jounouchi glanced back at Yugi. "You don't think Mokuba was hinting that Kaiba was abused as a child, do you?"

"I don't know, but I'm not asking. Kaiba's life is his privacy. If he wants us to know something like that he would have told us. Until then, I would leave it as is. Jounouchi, both of them seemed stress. Kaiba is more likely not acting like himself and is confused on some of the things he can remember. Mokuba is scared that we aren't going to make it. He's the one that knows how large this world is and only he can know for sure if we'll make it in time. The only thing we can do is to keep moving forward as fast as we can and ask questions later."

Yugi stepped into the clearing and looked at the small plain area filled with flowers and tents. Various fairies flew around the area. Some were paying attention to the new visitors while others continued about their own business. A woman with six wings floated down and floated a few feet away from them. "What brings you to the Land of the Fairies?"

"We are in search of a man that was kidnapped by Baron the Fiend Sword."

The woman nodded. "We shall give you some information in exchange for the defeat of our foes that have been plaguing our lands."

Jounouchi groaned. "We'll help you," Yugi answered quickly. "Tell us about these enemies, and we'll see what we can do."

"Right this way. My name is Wingweaver."

"Pleasure to meet you," Yugi said politely, following the winged angel. Jounouchi wanted to get the information and leave, but he knew Yugi wouldn't do something like that. He was always the one that would help anyone that needed it.

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That's chapter two. I hope everyone could understand the just of the game. I tried to put in as much details as possible. The next chapter should be uploaded soon. Thank you for reading. Please review.

Angel Dove


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for your kind reviews. I'm glad everyone is liking this so far.

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Chapter Three

They walked to the center of the small village and into the largest tent. Inside there was a strong aroma of incense and it was empty of anything besides small colorful rugs. The angel sat down on the rug at the very back of the tent, beckoning them over to the other rugs for them to sit on. Yugi politely knelt and sat on his legs while Jounouchi sat on the floor with his legs crossed. "I thank you again for your assistance in this matter. We are a peaceful village with hardly an army. We have a few fairies that defend our livelihood, but there are none to spare for this specific request."

"We don't have much time. If you could tell us who or what is harming you and where they are, that would be of great help."

Yugi pinched Jounouchi's leg and glared at him. "What Jounouchi is attempting to say is that we are on a time sensitive quest, but we can't ignore what you are asking us to do. We would appreciate if you tell us all we need to know so we can rectify this problem and be one step closer to the completion of our quest."

Wingweaver bowed her head. "I apologize. The stress of constantly being attacked has gotten to me. Please allow me to explain. Two harpie siblings have been stealing our food and taking it to their nest not to far from this village. We see them coming and going to a place to the west of our village. Dark Witch and Guardian Angel Joan saw them fly in that direction just this morning after they stole more of our food. If you managed to find them and stop their pillages I will give you a map that would show you the direction that you need to take for your quest."

Jounouchi rose and started for the door. "We will do what we can. Hurry, Yugi, before we run out of time." The blond walked quickly out of the tent while Yugi bowed and said their goodbyes. He looked over at Baby Dragon. "Mokuba, is there any way around this sidequest?"

"No, these are the tasks assigned to the knight's quest. The map may come in handy. It might show us to Baron's castle."

"Who are these harpie siblings?" Yugi asked, trying to keep up with Jounouchi.

"Harpie Brother and Harpie Girl. They are easy to beat and live in a cave a few yards from this village. I can guide you to them and I suggest we leave Beaver Warrior here just incase we pass each other along the way. Beaver Warrior can help Dark Witch and Guardian Angel Joan."

"Fine. Beaver Warrior, find the tent with their supplies and help guard it. We will be back hopefully soon," Jounouchi commanded, watching the warrior move away.

Yugi sighed and started to jog after Jounouchi. "Will you slow down? We could miss the cave if we're not careful."

"Mokuba knows the way and we don't have time to slow down. If I would have known we had to complete tasks along the way I wouldn't have wasted so much time battling in the forest."

"You do realize that I'm worried about Kaiba as well."

"Who says I'm worried about that asshole? I just want to get him out of here so I can tell him how stupid he is for continuing this project."

Yugi shook his head and hid his smile behind his hand. "I would have to agree that it was foolish of him to try."

"This was something he always dreamed of completely. It's difficult for him to quit. Sometimes I think that he continues this only to prove that he's the best game designer."

Jounouchi rolls his eyes. "Why does he have to prove it? Everyone already believes it. All his technology is state of the art and brings a lot of smiles to children's faces. I don't know who told him otherwise, but he's the best in this business."

Mokuba was stunned speechless and Yugi stopped in his tracks, staring at his friend. "Did...no that's impossible."

"What?"

"I can't believe those words came out of your mouth. It sounds like you actually support Kaiba."

Jounouchi blushed and glanced away from the two. "I never said I hated the guy. He just gets under my skin." He turned his head sharply to the left, seeing a shadow behind a tree. The figure jumped from a branch and launched at them. "Get down!" He grabbed Yugi and Baby Dragon, putting his body over them. He hissed as claws dragged across his back, tearing his cape.

Yugi moved quickly from underneath him, nocking his arrow and firing it at the male harpie. The red-winged man twirled as the arrow barely missed him. Jounouchi stood behind Yugi and drew his sword. "I can hear them rustling through the trees. Keep your eyes open," Yugi said.

Baby Dragon moved out from under their legs and spat a fireball into the trees, lighting them on fire. A loud screeched echoed through the forest. "I see him," Yugi shouted, firing another arrow. This time the arrow pierced his wing and brought him down.

"I'll finish him. Keep looking for the other one," Jounouchi shouted, running over to the fallen Harpie Brother. He placed the sword in both of his hands, stabbing it completely through the creature. He screeched and clawed at the blade before falling completely still. A second sound came from the opposite direction. Jounouchi rolled to the right, missing Harpie Girl's claws. His back slammed into a tree and he drew the sword up, but the blonde haired girl pushed it aside.

She turned and knocked an arrow away with her pink wings. She hissed at Yugi before turning and grabbing Jounouchi by the throat. Her claws dug into his skin, causing blood the drip down his neck. "Jounouchi!" Yugi shouted, attempting another arrow, but she knocked it away with her wings once more. She lifted the blond until his feet daggled and slammed him hard against the tree. Jounouchi saw white for a second, attempting to ignore the pain radiating from his wounds.

Yugi and Baby Dragon took off in the direction of their friend. They were a few feet away from him when a short swordsman stabbed the harpie right through the chest. She squealed and dropped Jounouchi. The blond coughed and placed his hand over his sore neck. He barely had the strength to move as the dead harpie fell into his lap. The pink faced swordsman kicked the creature away and dropped his shield that had his face on it. "Are you okay?"

Jounouchi nodded as his friends ran up to him. Yugi quickly knelt beside his friend and placed his hand over Jounouchi's. He accessed his menu, selecting a healing spell that would help. Jounouchi breathed easily, feeling the soothing sensation of the spell. He felt relaxed and the pain slowly dissipated. "Thanks, Yugi," he whispered before turning to the other swordsman. "Thank you."

"No problem. That's what I'm here for. I'm the Swordsman of Landstar. My king sent me to investigate all the creatures that are gathering at a castle not too far from here. He believes that they are building an army that would take over these lands."

"We are trying to get to the castle as well. Baron has kidnapped one of our friends."

The shorter swordsman frowned. "Then that explains the army. If you don't mind, I would like to join your party. I have lost my way and unable to find the pathway leading to the castle."

"We don't know the direction either, but Wingweaver is giving us a map to help our quest. We should return and let her know that the harpie siblings have been defeated," Yugi answered, helping Jounouchi to his feet.

The blond swayed slightly before standing at his full height. "That healing is good, but it leaves you lightheaded. Did you use your strongest?"

"No, the cuts were minor on your throat and I only wanted to close them so you wouldn't lose any more blood. I wouldn't use a strong spell on you without knowing what the consequences are."

"Jounouchi, your body is experiencing the same thing as Seto's. You have dried blood marks on your neck, but it seems like they are healed. At least we know that healing will help your real body as well."

"How much time is left?"

"Fifty minutes. Hurry and get the map so we can see how far we have to go. You shouldn't have to beat the game just to get to Baron's castle."

The three ran through the forest back to where the Land of the Fairies resided. Wingweaver was standing outside of the tent with Beaver Warrior right beside him. They walked up to her, slowly catching their breathes. "Thank you so much for your assistance. Bio-Mage says that the threat has been eliminated. We can never thank you enough. As promised, I have the map for you. I know that you are in a hurry, but if you need someplace to rest or eat, we have a tent made special for you."

Yugi took the map. "Thank you, but we must continue. Beaver Warrior, would you like to stay here and help them with any new threats or would you like to continue with us."

"I believe I should continue that is if you don't mine. I see that you have another warrior with you."

"We do. This is Swordsman of Landstar. He was sent to scout the castle and report back to his king. He will be joining us."

Jounouchi took the map from Yugi and slowly opened it up. Simmering lights shined over the blank parchment before the lands slowly started to reveal themselves. A small x showed their location and a large circle showed where they had to go. Baby Dragon whimpered as he looked down at the map. "There's no way we can make it in time. We have to travel through the rest of this forest and climb the mountains to the Land of the Dragons. I'm sure there is a task there waiting for us as well. Then back down the other side of the mountain and into the Land of the Magic. Another task there, but maybe we can skip it. After that there's a long trek through the desert, an ocean, another forest and finally we make it to the castle."

Baby Dragon frowned and landed on Yugi's head, burying his face in his thick hair. "What do we do?"

"Keep moving forward," Jounouchi said, rolling the map and sliding it behind the belt that held his sword to his hip. "We have two warriors with us and it seems like I've gained a few levels. It looks like I have spells now."

"Those are equips for your sword. You can change the element of your blade. It'll give you a boost against creatures that are weak against that element. It looks like you have wind and electricity."

"Let's get moving. Mokuba, fly ahead of us but keep yourself hidden in the shadows. Warn us if monsters are coming. Maybe we can avoid them and get through the forest quickly."

"Okay. Don't take too long."

"Beaver Warrior and Swordsman of Landstar, be the lead. If you spot any monsters try to look for a way around them. If not, whistle and we'll get ready for an attack."

"Right," they both said together, starting off to the north of the village.

Jounouchi and Yugi took one last look at Wingweaver who waved them goodbye. "Why did you separate us?"

"I needed to talk to you."

"Is this about Kaiba? Is that why you sent Mokuba ahead?"

"Yeah, I didn't want him to hear any of this."

"You do realize that he might still hear us."

"Hopefully not, maybe he's too into looking around to pay attention to our whispers."

"Fine. What did you want to talk about?"

"There is a lot of land to cover before we even reach the castle. After that we have to battle all the monsters just to get inside. Mokuba is right. We don't have a lot of time, especially if we have two more tasks to do before we get close to the castle. Even though it only took us seven minutes to get from the last village to this one, there is a longer patch of forest leading to the mountain path. I don't want him to lose hope."

"I agree. Maybe we can get one of the dragons to fly us the rest of the way. We could storm the castle with them."

"I thought of that, but what if they are not programmed to leave their land. There has to be something in this game that could help us get there faster." A whistle sounded softly through the area. "Looks like we can't avoid these monsters. We'll talk more later."

Jounouchi ran towards the clashing of swords. He ran into the mob of Armored Lizards, striking one down as he charged. Yugi glanced up and noticed green like caterpillars climbing along the trees. He aimed his arrow and brought down each Petit Moth. They fell like rain over the unsuspecting warriors. The blond flicked them off his shoulder and continued to stab and slash the lizards through their armor. Mokuba stayed in the trees, not wanting to get in the way and waiting for his fire blast to fully recharge. Being only a familiar, the raven haired teen was unable to do more than one skill every several battles.

Soon after starting the fight, they were able to continue through the forest. The battles became numerous and unavoidable. It wasn't long before they ran into another army. This time they were large alligators with armor. The Rude Kaisers were harder to defeat and required more dodging and waiting for the right opportunity to strike. Various types of blood splashed the warriors' clothing, but before long they were free of that battle. Yugi and Baby Dragon decided to stay further back, seeing that there was no way around the battles.

Weary from the battle, the small group managed to step out of the forest and faced the long stone walkway leading to the top of the huge mountain before them. Mokuba landed on the ground in front of the group. His wings were exhausted, and he could tell everyone else was ready to collapsed. "I think we should rest here for a few minutes. The walk up the mountain path may be more difficult than the forest."

"How long do we have?" Yugi asked, not knowing if he wanted the answer.

"Forty-one minutes."

Yugi sighed and sat down on the stone near the start of the path. "I agree. We should sit for just a minute. Time us, Mokuba."

Jounouchi sat on the ground, leaning against the rock that Yugi was sitting on. "Thanks, Mokuba."

"For what?"

"It must be hard suggesting that we take a break when you constantly see that clock."

"Nii-sama wouldn't want you dying while trying to save him. Your heart and breathing rates were high. They are starting to come down now." Mokuba glanced at the other screen, watching his brother slowly pace the room he was trapped in. "Plus, Seto is awake and pacing. I can see that he's worried which is strange. Normally he hides all his emotions behind that mask of his, but I guess he doesn't remember how to put it on. But even through all that worry, his eyes are darting about the room. I think he's forming a plan incase we can't make it in time. At least that part of him still remembers how he used to act. I know he'll be able to hang on long enough."

Jounouchi smiled before standing up again. "Your brother is very strong. If Baron knows a way to break him then the world is coming to an end. Out of all the things that you two went through at Duelist Kingdom and during Battle City, this is just another speed bump in your life. Don't worry, Mokuba, we're going to find a way to get to him. So, I need you to be top of your game. You know this world just as well as Kaiba. You should be thinking about the game and not about what Kaiba is doing right now. If you can do anything that would help us cheat or beat things faster, I suggest you figure that out right away. Can the Dragons leave their lands?"

"No, they were never designed to...well besides Baby Dragon and...That's it! You need to get to the Land of the Dragons. Once there, I can change familiars from Baby Dragon to this other dragon that should be able to help better than Baby Dragon. Let's get moving."

Mokuba pushed the button to make Baby Dragon fly and started up the mountain path. Jounouchi smiled at Yugi before following the dragon. He knew there had to be ways to make this game easier for them and in turn help them get to Baron's castle faster. "Hang in there, Kaiba," Jounouchi thought, walking faster up the hill with Yugi close behind. Even though he was sure his best friend knew that he was worried for Kaiba, the blond would never voice half the things he felt aloud. The CEO was a good person who thought only of bringing happiness to children, especially orphans. He didn't deserve to be tortured by a despicable computer generated person. That was something Jounouchi knew for certain.

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Another chapter done. The next couple of chapters will have the same format but different things happening. I hope no one gets bored with them. Thank you all for reading. Please review.

Angel Dove


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you all for your kind reviews. I'm happy you like the virtual world.

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Chapter Four

The mountain trail seemed to go on forever. The group tirelessly walked up steep cliffs and down others though the tip of the mountain still remained unreachable. Jounouchi found himself becoming frustrated with the endless stone trail. Every step became more labored with increasing frustrated sighs. He was tempted to be that annoying child in the backseat screaming, "Are we there yet?" but he refrained from speaking those useless words. Voicing his complaint would not get them closer to the top. He stopped for a moment, allowing the others to catch up. With the other's small stature, it became difficult for them to keep up with Jounouchi. The only one that seemed capable was Baby Dragon who flew just above the blond's head.

Baby Dragon landed directly beside Jounouchi, choosing to take a break while the other's caught up to them. Putting his hand over his eyes, Jounouchi glanced up at the bright sun. He blinked several times, wondering if there was a black spot in the sun or there was something wrong with his vision. It took him only a second to realize that the object was moving quickly towards them. He glanced down at the part of the cliff where the other's were still climbing to get up to him. "Look out!" he shouted.

Jounouchi grabbed Baby Dragon and pushed him in-between two stones. He only managed to get to the edge of the cliff before a large emerald dragon flew away, taking Yugi with them. "Yugi!"

"Jounouchi, help me!" Yugi shouted back, struggling to get out of the clawed feet that held him.

"Damn it! Mokuba, what's with your brother? Does he enjoy watching people getting kidnapped by dragons?" He didn't allow the other to answer before he shouted down to the others, "Catch up when you can. I'm running ahead."

Baby Dragon took to flight while Jounouchi ran up the side of another cliff. "That isn't supposed to happen. Luster Dragon Number Two is suppose to peacefully guide you to the Land of the Dragons. Maybe Baron is affecting more of the program the closer we get to his castle. Don't worry. The Land of the Dragons is just beyond this cliff. We'll be able to talk to the leaders there."

Jounouchi rolled his eyes. "Let me guess. Three Blue Eyes White Dragons."

"Actually, you'll be surprised to see who they are."

Jounouchi didn't have time to figure out Mokuba's riddles. He slid down the last cliff and stared in awe at the valley. Hundreds of dragons moved about the ground and flew in the area. There were several large nests, some filled with eggs and guarded by their protective parent. He saw the emerald dragon drop Yugi in a nest and landed directly beside it. Yugi tried several times to get out of the nest, but the stubborn dragon just grabbed the back of his tunic with his mouth and pulled him back.

The blond moved further into the valley until he was stopped by a medium sized blue dragon with a large snout. "State your business."

"Luster Dragon kidnapped my friend," Jounouchi answered Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress.

The dragon snorted and shook his head. "Luster, you need to stop stealing people that look like your baby," he shouted while walking over to the nest. "I do apologize," he said more softly. "Luster's baby was a black pointy head dragon. He died a few weeks ago."

After a few growls and snorts, Winged Dragon managed to get Yugi away from Luster. The smaller man looked back at the dragon who lowered her head. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm not your baby." He reached up and stroked her snot before she spread her wings and flew off.

"Are you hurt, Yugi?" Jounouchi asked just as Beaver Warrior and Swordsman of Landstar entered the valley.

"No, she didn't even scratch me with the long claws."

"I'm glad you're not hurt," Winged Dragon said, glancing at the other members of their party. "For a human and two creatures to run after her that quickly, you must have been on the mountain. Did you have business with us?"

"We were passing through on the way to rescue our friend," Yugi answered.

"In order for you to do that, you must first get permission from our leaders and even if they do grant you that right, we are unable to grant that request."

"Why?" Jounouchi asked, glancing around at all the dragons.

"Hitosu-Me Giants guard the other side. They throw boulders at people trying to pass and damage the cliffs making it impossible in some places to cross."

"Can't one of you fly us down the cliff?"

"That would be impossible. We don't interact with them and they don't interact with us. That is how we keep our valley safe. There are too many young dragons and eggs to risk a battle."

Jounouchi growled and Yugi walked up to the dragon. "May we talk to the leaders and see what they can do for us?"

"Of course, right this way." The dragon walked along the valley, moving between dragons and finally up a slight cliff and into the mouth of a large cave. The cold cave barely had any light and smelt a little like moisture. The remained there while Winged Dragon stood in the cave. "Red, Blue, we have company."

"Red?" Yugi asked.

"Blue? You have got to be kidding me the two dragons that rule this land are..." Jounouchi didn't even have a chance to answer before two large dragons flew by them with a gust of strong wind and landed directly outside. "Blue Eyes White Dragon and Red Eyes Black Dragon are the leaders? Mokuba, is that what you were...Mokuba?"

The blond looked around, attempting to find Baby Dragon. "We'll search for him later," Yugi whispered. "He should be fine in this valley. We need to pay our respects." Yugi bowed to the two dragons followed by Jounouchi and the other two warriors. "Great Dragons, we come pleading before you. We need permission to cross your lands and climb down the other side."

"You may have permission to cross our lands, however, climbing down the mountain may cost you your lives," a female voice answered, belong to Blue Eyes.

Red Eyes nuzzled her cheek with his snout. "My love, let's hear them out first."

Jounouchi blushed and turned his head away from them. "Remind me to kill Kaiba when I find him."

Yugi bit his lip to stop the laughter from flowing through his mouth. He cleared his throat and looked at them. "Our friend was kidnapped by Baron the Fiend Sword. We received a map from Wingweaver showing us the location of his castle. The quickest route is across your mountain and through the Land of Magic. Is there nothing you can do to help us?"

Red Eyes closed his eyes and sighed before turning to the mass of dragons. He hated asking this question, but he knew the importance of saving a friend. "These travels need assistance going down the cliff. Who is brave enough to join them as they battle with the Hitosu-Me Giants?"

A purple dragon with red wings, a brown dragon and a black dragon stepped forward followed closely behind by a man with a large javelin. "We pledge to help them."

Blue Eyes nodded and turned back to the four travelers. "Gaia the Fierce Knight, Koumori Dragon, Cursed Dragon and Darkblaze Dragon will help you. Gaia has been here from some time also wanting to leave the same route as you, but he was unable to get past the giants and even lost his horse in one of his attempts. We are not saying you have to defeat the giants, but if you do, we would be extremely grateful. Now, show me the map that Wingweaver gave you."

Jounouchi pulled the parchment from his waist and unrolled it. Blue Eyes placed her claw on the parchment which instantly lit up with hundreds of dots. "Now you will see what we see from the skies. The red dots are enemies, the blue dots are members of your party and your allies and the yellow dots are creatures that have no side."

Red eyes pointed on the map with his claw. "These are the giants. Since the dragons are easily spotted and would get in the way, we are giving you another option to summon us."

The black dragon leaned forward, picking something up and placing it in Yugi's hands. The small blue and white dragon cooed at them. "This is Decoy Dragon. He will be able to summon any dragon you call, but only one can come at a time. You will have those three dragons to choose from. They can be summoned at any time, and the spell that Decoy uses will instantly transport them to you. This is all we can do for you. We hope your quest is a success."

The two dragons spread their wings and flew back into the cave. Winged Dragon flapped his wings and landed on the ground before them. "I can guide you to the edge of the valley."

"We are missing someone from our party. Baby Dragon."

"I traded," Decoy Dragon answered.

Yugi blinked and looked down at the small dragon. "Mokuba?"

"Yes. I knew that you would be granted Decoy Dragon so I left Baby Dragon here and moved my control over to Decoy Dragon that way I can summon quicker than the programmed dragon."

"That sounds like a plan. Never mind, Winged Dragon. We have everyone," Jounouchi answered quickly, not wanting to delay them any longer.

Winged Dragon nodded and walked through the crowd of dragons much like he did before. The party followed closely behind until they reached the edge of the mountain top. Below them was a small ledge that led to a pathway. "Thank you," Yugi said, patting Winged Dragon on the shoulder before looking down at the jump he would have to make.

"Stay up here. I'll go down first," Jounouchi said. He slid himself off the side of the cliff and lowered himself onto the pathway. He looked up at Yugi and reached his arms up. "Okay, nice and easy."

Yugi placed Decoy Dragon on his shoulder and slid like Jounouchi did off the edge. The blond gripped Yugi's legs and braced him until his feet touched the ground. Gaia jumped down beside Jounouchi and helped him bring the other two members of their party down. Yugi took one last look at Winged Dragon before walking off with them. "I was surprised to see that Kaiba chose both his and your dragons as the leaders."

"I can understand that, but it shocked me that he made them lovers."

Decoy Dragon laughed. "Nii-sama thought you would like that."

"Oh did he? I'm going to kill him."

Mokuba snickered, hiding the real truth about the dragons from the others. The only time he would ever tell them something like that would be if Kaiba wanted them to know. The raven haired teen looked over at the clock before sneaking a peak at his brother. The brunet stopped pacing and now sat directly under the window. "Don't worry, Seto. We're almost there," Mokuba thought before turning his attention back to the game.

It took them several minutes to climb down the cliff before they got close to one of the red dots. Jounouchi glanced over at the large trees, seeing the giant clinging to the trunk, shouting at something below him. "We've been spotted," Jounouchi said.

Yugi took another arrow out of his seemingly endless quill and shot the giant. It didn't kill the blue creature nor cause it to fall. "They have strong skin or their attack points are higher than normal."

"Thick skin and higher attack points," Decoy Dragon said. "We are getting further in the game, and it's expected that you would have leveled up several times before reaching this part.

"Look out!" Gaia shouted just as a large stone boulder hit directly beside Yugi. The tri-hair colored man ducked, feeling the rubble falling over him.

Yugi groaned as a few larger rocks hit his back and head. He got up quickly and moved away from the edge. "I'm okay," he said, answering several of their questions.

Mokuba reached for a controller and pressed several buttons. Using a cheat code, he managed to summon all three of the dragons at once. "Everyone get on a dragon. Their base has to be on the ground."

Jounouchi ran over to Yugi and grabbed him before jumping onto the back of Curse Dragon. Gaia and Beaver Warrior jumped onto Darkblaze Dragon while Swordsman of Landstar ran to the edge of the cliff and jumped on Koumori Dragon just as the dragon started to descend with the others. The dragons swerved away from the boulders and arrows. The blond slid off the dragon just as it landed. "Yugi, stay on the dragon with Mokuba and attack from the sky."

Yugi didn't have time to respond as Curse Dragon took to the skies. "I hate it when he does that," the King of Games commented.

"I find it strange that he is taking control. I know that I gave him the knight's job, but I thought you would still be giving orders."

Yugi nocked another arrow and fired it just before Jounouchi stabbed on of the Hitosu-Me Giant. "Jounouchi is better at these types of games. It plays to his strengths." He spotted Beaver Warrior struggling against his foe. He shot an arrow. The giant reared back from the pain giving the warrior a chance to roll away and flip back on his feet. "This is more of a physical game than a strategy game. The game relies on his strength. It's like Kaiba designed this specifically so Jounouchi could be the master of it."

Decoy Dragon glanced at Yugi. Mokuba didn't want to tell him any of Kaiba's secrets. He knew his brother had Jounouchi mind for this game. That's why his dragon was one of the leaders and why the knight's quest was more physical than the others. Mokuba watched in amazement as the blond flipped from one of the giants he just killed and wrapped his legs around the neck of another. He used his momentum to knock the one eyed giant off his feet and to the ground. He twirled his body and stabbed that giant in the stomach. Decoy Dragon moved from Yugi's shoulder to sit on the head of Curse Dragon. "Can he do that in real life?"

"Do what?" Yugi fired another arrow, managing to hit a giant in the eye. Gaia brought that one down to the ground and killed it.

"Wrap his legs around someone's neck and bring them down."

Yugi glanced at Jounouchi for a second before bringing his focus back to the others. "Probably. He knows how to fight. Well, he would have to know how to fight with the neighborhood he lives in. Gangs want him to join, but he keeps telling them no. His father taught him how to fight so he could protect himself."

"I'm glad he's never fought Seto like that."

"Jounouchi wouldn't hurt Kaiba. He might get mad and yell at him. Maybe even shove him, but he would never hurt him. Curse Dragon, take us down. There's only one giant left."

Jounouchi hissed as he held his shoulder. His body ached, but not nearly as bad as his shoulder. He rotated it, feeling the stabbing pain. Yugi ran over to him and placed his hand on it. "Is it dislocated?"

"I don't think so. It's probably strained. It took more force to stab those giants than any other monster. Mokuba, time check."

"Twenty-nine minutes."

Jounouchi took the map out of his waistband while the others gathered together. He looked around at the monsters that still wondered through the forest separating them from the Land of the Magic. "We should move out of this clearing and into the nearby trees to take a small break. Yugi, when we get there, can you look at this shoulder? I need to be able to use it."

"I was planning on it." Yugi walked side by side with Jounouchi while Decoy Dragon rode on his head. The other warriors followed closely behind them, keeping an eye open for any enemies. Mokuba released the spell on the three dragons, allowing them return to the valley until they are needed again. They were another step closer.

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We are getting closer to Baron's castle, but that's not the end of the story. Thank you for reading. Please review.

Angel Dove


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you again for your kind reviews. This was one of my favorite chapters to write. I hope you like it also. I designed this story just for the end of this chapter. I was so happy to finally reach it.

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Chapter Five

Jounouchi found a rock in the first area of the forest where no enemies resided. He sat down and allowed Yugi to use his magical healing powers to look over the wound. "It's a pinched nerve. I can try to heal it."

The blond shook his head. "The pain is starting to go away, and we don't know how often you can use those healing powers of yours or what danger it does to your real body."

"I'm not concerned about that. If it helps, I'm not worried about the aftereffects."

"I am worried about it. I can handle pain." Jounouchi looked around the group. "Is there anyone else hurt?" Everyone shook their heads, choosing not to comment on the strange conversation the warrior and archer were having. He took several breaths before getting up. He lied to Yugi. The pain wasn't subsiding, but he knew with time he would ignore it like he did countless times. Pain was not new to him. He had been in so many fights he lost track of how many. Each one of them left him hurt in some way, but he survived and he will survive this time as well.

He took a couple steps forward, looking into the dense forest. I see no initial enemies, but let's be on our guards. The faster we get through the forest the faster we get to the Land of Magic. Hopefully they will be able to help us get to Baron's castle faster than walking. If not then we will be another land closer to getting there. Mokuba, how's Kaiba?" Jounouchi finally got the courage to ask.

"He keeps alternating between pacing and sitting under the window. He only talks when I say something to him. I don't know if he realizes that I can hear him at any time. It's strange seeing him like this. The Seto I know wouldn't be quietly pacing the room. He would be attempting to pick the lock on the door and escaping the castle on his own."

"I remember him doing something like that when he first got trapped in here. We came all that way wearing those stupid costumes, and he blasts through the floor with his dragon. I'm sure even though he doesn't know who he is, he is forming a plan in that head of his." Jounouchi started walking through the forest. "There seems to be a group of enemies just ahead of us and another group to the left of us. Both are blocking our path. Let's split up. Yugi, take Gaia and Beaver Warrior to the left. Warrior of Landstar, Mokuba and I will take the other group. Once each group is defeated, the pathway reconnects just outside of the Land of Magic."

"Fine by me. Be carefully, Jounouchi." The group separated and went down their paths. Even though they were separated, they should still be able to hear each other during their battles.

Jounouchi moved through bushes and used his sword to cut through some of the branches that blocked their path. They reached their enemies first, seeing two different foes. One was a green haired creature with his blue shoes only showing and the other was a fox. "Griggle and Fire Fox," Decoy Dragon whispered into his ear. "I see about six total. Can you handle them?"

The blond looked back at the swordsman. "I don't see why we couldn't. Stay here on this bush and if it gets ugly summon a dragon." Decoy Dragon nodded before jumping off Jounouchi's shoulder and landing on the nearby bush. "I'll stick to the left, you stay on the right."

The swordsman nodded once before running through the bush and making the first move. Jounouchi wasn't too concerned about the swordsman needing help. He managed to defeat several Hitosu-Me Giants without any aid like the other two warriors. He took one last glance at Decoy Dragon before attacking his side. The Griggles were easy to defeat. They didn't do anything other than run in circles and try to avoid the swords. The blond was tempted to leave them be, but he didn't want this to be like a distraction. After destroying all the Griggles, he found that the Fire Foxes didn't get there name just by the color of their fur. They were quick on their feet and set most of the area on fire. Fighting them proved to be easy once they were caught. Jounouchi cornered his between two stones and destroyed two of them with one blow.

He stared in shock as the two creatures didn't just disappear like all the others. Instead they faded into small sparkles before they combined with his blade. The blade turned golden for an instant before turning back to the normal color. He noticed that the area that the Fire Fox set on fire had burned out and left nothing but black spots. He turned to see that the swordsman had a similar experience with the Fire Fox. Decoy Dragon flew over to them and perched on Jounouchi's head. "You both have been granted the fire element to your blades. Fire Fox is one of the creatures that you can gain that ability from, but it was too early in the game, and I wasn't sure if it would actually work. We should hurry to the exit. We'll be able to see the other group better from that point." Jounouchi moved quickly through the forest, wanting to help his friends if they needed.

Yugi's group had little trouble with their foes. Each of them were thunder based creatures; Electric Snake and Electric Lizard. The green cobras hung from the trees looking like vines while the purple lizards would hide under the green bushes. Unfortunately for their color, they were easy to spot. It was difficult for Yugi to hit Electric Snake with his arrows, but he did manage to land a few hits on the Electric Lizards. Gaia and Beaver Warrior weren't finding any difficulty with finishing the attack that Yugi started. They alternated between killing the lizards and snakes. With each snake they killed their sword and javelin would spark brighter and brighter until the last foe was defeated. Yugi stared at the electricity now flowing smoothly around their blades. Beaver Warrior lifted the sword in the air, watching lighting shot off it.

"It would appear that you two now have new abilities. Let's hurry to the others. I don't hear them fighting anymore." Yugi wasn't too worried about hearing the lack of fighting. He figured Jounouchi and the Swordsman of Landstar would be fine and waiting for them at the exit. He was beginning to worry about Kaiba. Their time seemed to be dwindling faster than he expected, and he didn't want anything happening to the CEO. He also didn't want to let on that he knew they weren't going to reach Kaiba before Baron came back for him. He silently hoped that the brunet would be able to endure the torture. He suspected that Mokuba knew this as well, but didn't want to voice it either. They had made it far in such a short time and were close to another land.

Yugi and the others managed to make it to the end just as Jounouchi and the swordsman were walking out of their forest path. "We have fire power on our swords," the blond said.

"Gaia and Beaver Warrior got thunder. We should hurry and continue on."

"I agree. I can see the edge of a village in front of us."

The group didn't question or hesitate. They moved out of the forest and were instantly confronted by a blond haired swordsman with a long sword. "No one should pass here."

Yugi stepped forward. "We are on a quest to save our friend. You must let us pass. There isn't much time left."

Neo the Magic Swordsman held his sword out in front of him, nearly touching Yugi's neck. "Even so, we do not allow strangers in our village. There is a pathway to the right that would lead you around us. It may take you longer but that is the only option you have at this point."

Jounouchi growled. "Now listen here. We don't have time to go the long way around it. We are on a quest to destroy Baron's castle. Now according to our map, your lands are on the edge of a desert that would lead us to the shore. After that we can make it to Baron's castle. I can see on this map that he has creatures all around his castle and some are even in the ocean. I predict that it won't be too long until they cross the desert. Now you can either allow us to cross through your village and save you from that threat or you can delay us until after they've reached your village. By that point, we may not feel like giving you assistance. So what's it going to be?"

Yugi snickered, knowing that Jounouchi's patience had just ended. He was wondering when that would happen. Jounouchi was never known to be a very patient person, especially when it came to people getting in the road of what he wanted. A beautiful blonde woman with a black hat and an outfit that looked like a witch came up behind Neo and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Our lady has foreseen they're arrival. Now, please allow them to pass."

Neo bowed. "Of course, Fire Sorcerer."

"Please follow me. Mystical Elf awaits you."

The group moved into the large village. There were small one room houses made out of stone. Yugi placed his hand on it, feeling the magic running through. He looked at the top of the building, noticing a small lighting rod object. There was a flow of rainbow colors of energy that came from the building they were walking to. Fire Sorcerer entered the building, pushing aside the green cloth that was used as a door. In the center of the room was an orb that sat upon a table. Mystical Elf stood directly behind it with Dark Magician to her right and Dark Magician Girl to her left. They seemed to be staring at it as if it was showing them a movie. Neither one of them made any notion that they noticed their new visitors. "Our heroes have finally arrived," Mystical Elf spoke softly, finally lifting her gaze from the orb. "Thank you for bringing them to us.

Fire Sorcerer bowed before leaving them. "Let us sit." She led the group over to a table where she sat on one side while the two magicians stood behind her. Jounouchi and Yugi sat in the other seats while the three warriors stood near the door. "I have foreseen your arrival and know what you seek. There are some good news and some bad news. We will allow you to go through our village however in order to get to the desert it's blocked by Silver Fang and Battle Ox. In order to get to the desert you must defeat them. The good news though is Sand Gambler is on the other side of them. He will give you the opportunity to be teleported directly to Baron's Castle; however, he plays a game of chance. You may choose not take that chance."

Jounouchi glanced over at Yugi. "If there is a chance we should take it."

Yugi nodded. "Well defeat Silver Fang and Battle Ox and then meet Sand Gambler. We thank you for this opportunity."

"Of course. Celtic Guardian should be standing outside. He wanted to join with you on our quest. It may help even the odds."

"We'll take all the help we can get. Thank you," Yugi said quickly. He wanted to get through this final task and get to Sand Gambler. He knew that with Jounouchi's luck they should be able to use the gamble to their benefit. He just hoped that the price for losing wasn't something devastating. He bowed respectively and found his way outside to see one of the warriors he always carried in his deck. He stopped and looked at the other warriors with them. He had never noticed the connection until that moment. All of them were either part of his deck or Jounouchi's at some point during their dueling career. Maybe Mokuba was right and Kaiba did have Jounouchi in mind for this game. Jounouchi would find comfort in traveling with warriors that were familiar to him.

The blond followed his best friend, eager to finally have some good news. He was starting to doubt ever being able to reach Kaiba in time. Now if there was an option to get teleported directly to the castle, he was going to take it. Celtic Guardian bowed to them. "The edge of the village is this way. That is where Silver Fang and Battle Ox stand guard. They don't attack people unless they try to cross nor do they come into the village. It's strange, but I'm happy you all agreed to help."

"Don't think too much of it. We only agreed because there was something in it for us."

"Either way you still agreed."

"Let's get this over with." Jounouchi lifted Decoy Dragon off his shoulder and placed him on Yugi's head. "Stick with Yugi. I don't even know how you always end up with me, but it'll be safer with Yugi."

Mokuba snickered and moved Decoy Dragon over to Yugi's shoulder. "I'm surprised that you never notice me flying over to you or the new pressure on your shoulder."

Jounouchi sighed. "Regardless. Yugi attacks from the distance and you'd be safer back there than with me. You could fall off my shoulder."

"I know. I was just teasing you."

Jounouchi shook his head and continued down the pathway led by Celtic Guardian. At the end of the dirt road stood Battle Ox and Silver Fang. They didn't move until the group got close enough. Silver Fang ran down and tackled Gaia. Beaver Warrior and the Swordsman of Landstar ran up to them and started attacking the wolf. Jounouchi and Celtic Guardian went the opposite direction and challenged Battle Ox. Yugi's arrows were useless against the large ox who's skin seemed to be made of steel. He turned to focus his attention on Silver Fang, but the wolf seemed no match for the three warriors.

They moved quickly over to Battle Ox and took the creature down in no time. "That was surprisingly easy," Jounouchi commented looking around the area. "It should have been harder but I'm not going to complain. I can see the desert from here and there's a house with someone standing outside. We should hurry before this becomes too good to be true."

"I agree," Yugi said. "Something doesn't feel right as if the glitch didn't think we would get this far in time or something ahead of us is either too strong to defeat or won't let us get any farther."

The group moved completely out of the village and through a small patch of forest until they got partially into the desert. The sand that lied on top of the stone pathway was hot and slid across their feet as if they were walking through water. They approached the single stone building in front of them. Directly beside the door stood a blond male with one foot braced against the side of the building. The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up and the bow tie around his neck hung loosely. He flipped a coin constantly in his hand and turned his head towards the direction of footsteps.

Jounouchi stopped a few feet away from the almost mirrored image of himself. He stared in awe, wondering why Kaiba chose to change the image of the Sand Gambler to slightly resemble himself. The man stopped flipping the coin and pushed himself off the building. "You must be the heroes Mystical Elf told me about."

Jounouchi reached over to Yugi and grabbed Decoy Dragon from his shoulder. "How did Kaiba get my voice?"

Mokuba bit his lip. He knew the blond wouldn't like the answer, but he decided that Jounouchi deserved the truth. "He recorded all the duels during Battle City and the Tournament of Champions. You talked a lot during those duels. Once he realized that he wanted your voice as the Sand Gambler, he started carrying a recorder and purposely met you trying to get you to say certain phrases. After that, the computer took over and was able to piece together things you said to make his voice. Please don't be mad. He's a very vital character in the game."

"Fine. Let's get this over with. We are the ones Mystical Elf sent. She said that you would be able to help us."

"I wouldn't say would. I could help you, or I could doom you. It's all up to a game of chance."

"What are the stakes and how do we play?"

Yugi chuckled, feeling Decoy Dragon landing on his shoulder. "It's like listening to Jounouchi's echoing through a cave."

Mokuba snickered. "Seto knew Jounouchi would be upset, but he also knew that he might have expected Sand Gambler to be an enemy or someone that you'd hate. He's actually the opposite. Everyone who plays this game would want to meet and talk to him."

"Is it because of this gamble?"

"Partially. You can keep coming back to him to play more games and either earn items or money from him. He holds a lot of rare items if you can win against him."

"Understood." Yugi turned his attention back to the others just as Sand Gambler was explaining the rules.

"You have one shot. I will flip three coins and the air. If all coins land on heads, you will be transported to the end of your quest, Baron's Castle. If all coins land on tails, you will be transported back to the start of the game where you would have to walk all the way back here. If the coins are both heads and tails, you will get nothing and continue onto Baron's Castle by foot. So what are you going to do?"

Jounouchi frowned. It was a huge gamble. The odds of getting all heads were low just like getting all tails. If his luck was horrible today, he could doom everyone. He glanced back at Yugi who smiled at him. This was one chance they had to take. Jounouchi glanced back at his look alike. "Alright. We'll do it."

Sand Gambler nodded and reached into his pocket for the other two coins. He showed both sides of each coin to them before flipping them into the air. Jounouchi closed his eyes for a second, praying to all the gods and Lady Luck. He needed to win this. The coins clicked against the ground, spinning on their sides. The first coin stopped and landed on heads. Jounouchi released his breath. At least they wouldn't be returning to the start. The second coin landed on heads. He held his breath again. Could his luck hold out? The third coin seemed to slowly stop spinning and finally it landed on heads.

Jounouchi cheered. "Alright!"

Sand Gambler smiled and reached into his pocket. He threw the white orb directly in front of him. A circular white whirlpool opened. Wind whipped around their bodies. "Just jump in and you will land in the forest area directly outside of Baron's castle. You are on your own after that. I heard there are loads of monsters in the area. I hope you are sure about this."

"More than sure," Jounouchi answered before jumping into the whirlpool. Yugi followed without hesitation with the other warriors close behind them. Sand Gambler summoned the orb back to him, closing the path. He smiled and moved back over to the building, happy that Lady Luck was on their sides. Maybe she would remain there until the world was saved from Baron's evil clutches.

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The next chapter they will arrive at Baron's chapter. It should be uploaded in a day or so. Thank you for reading. Please review.

Angel Dove


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you for your kind reviews. We've finally made it to Baron's castle.

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Chapter Six

The group warped through the land, watching it quickly pass under the feet. The sensation caused Jounouchi to feel nauseated. This was one thing that Kaiba should definitely change if he didn't have such bad luck with the virtual world. The trip ended with them slowly floating down to the cliff directly outside of the forest separating them from Baron's castle. The forest was huge and clearly filled with enemies. They could see all the enemies converging onto them. Jounouchi removed his sword and glanced up at the large dark castle. "How much time, Mokuba?"

Mokuba glanced at the clock with a frown. He didn't want to tell them that there wasn't enough time. He moved his eyes over to Kaiba who was now standing and looking out the window. "Ten minutes," he finally answered. "We'll never make it through those enemies unless...hold on one second. Don't confront them yet." Mokuba moved over to the other microphone. "Seto?"

The brunet didn't take his eyes away from the window. "What is it?"

"We are at the edge of the forest. Can you fit through that window?"

Kaiba glanced at the window. "I don't know. I might be able to squeeze, but it's a long ways down."

"I have dragons and they could fly up to the window. Can you see us?"

"I can see where all the enemies are moving to. I'm guessing that's also where you are. The window is on the same side you arrived."

"Give me one second and let me activate the dragons. I'll be right back."

Mokuba moved back to the others. "I'm going to send the dragons up to the window and see if he can squeeze through it. We might not have to fight all of them if we can get him out of there."

Yugi placed Decoy Dragon on the ground. "I'll ride along with the dragon. You'll need someone to fight off any enemies. Jounouchi, you can hold everyone off until we get back."

The blond nodded and glanced around at the other allies. "Be quick about it."

Mokuba pulled up the menu that would summon the dragons and frowned. He knew there was enough time for the spell to recharge, but it seemed like it wasn't ready. He pushed the summon button and it gave him an error message informing him he doesn't have any magic left. "That can't be."

"What is it?" Jounouchi asked, worried that the dragon hasn't arrived yet.

"It says I don't have enough magic, but my magic is full, and I have the same amount as the first time I summoned them."

"Try summoning just one."

"I did, but it gave me the same thing."

"It has to be Baron," Yugi replied. "His glitch must affect everything here." Yugi pushed the menu button. "The exit menu is disabled and so is my healing magic."

Jounouchi did the same. "My magic elements are disabled as well as the exit. Looks like we're doing this on our own. Tell Kaiba to hang in there. We'll get to him. Can you log out of Decoy Dragon?"

Mokuba looked down at the screen. "Yes, why?"

"You're not going to be of use to us inside of the game as Decoy Dragon. Keep an eye us from there and talk to your brother. Even if he doesn't show it, he's worried about what Baron's going to do to him, and he might even be scared now that time is running out. He may not know exactly who he is, but someone talking to him will help distract him."

"How do you know what he's feeling?"

Jounouchi glanced down at the ground for a second before looking up at the enemies. "I may not have been waiting to be tortured for as long as Kaiba, but I did watch people threatening me before they started. I know a little about what he may be going through."

Yugi glanced up at Jounouchi, knowing that he was talking about the time he was electrocuted. "Let's not talk more on this. Mokuba, inform your brother that we can't reach him by dragon, but we're going to break through the defenses. At least maybe that would give him some hope to hold on."

"Okay." Mokuba walked over to the control and logged Decoy Dragon out pleased that at least that still worked. The small dragon vanished from the screen as he walked back over to the screen with Kaiba still in the room. "Seto, I'm sorry. Something Baron did has caused an interference with my summoning. I'm unable to call the dragons, but Jounouchi and Yugi are fighting their way through."

Kaiba sighed and moved away from the window. Closing his eyes, he thought about what he knew was the inevitable. "I know they will do what they can. I don't know how, but something tells me they will."

Tears formed in Mokuba's eyes. "Don't give up, Nii-sama. We'll get you out."

"I'm not going to give up."

Mokuba glanced back at the other screen, noticing that another warrior was making his way over to the group. He was tall and muscular with a red cape and armor. "Gilford the Lightning," he heard Jounouchi say.

"I have traveled long and far to get to this point. I never thought I would see anyone else doing the same. Are you here to destroy the castle?" he asked.

"We are here to save our friend who is being held in the castle. If the castle falls while we are doing it, then it's a win for both of us, but we're not going to make that our objective," Yugi answered. "We have company."

Jounouchi glanced up at the bat and vulture like creatures. "Yugi, you stay close to me. Attack all the Meda Bats and Queen Birds that you can." He looked down at ground to see headless warriors, green monkeys and long armed masked creatures. "The rest of us well go after Claw Reachers, Feral Imps and Headless Knights. I'm going to clear a pathway. Stick with me, Yugi." He looked back at the other warriors. "Let's form a line and continue to push forward until we reach the castle."

Swordsman of Landstar stood beside Yugi with Celtic Guardian and Gaia the Fierce Knight beside him. On the other side of Jounouchi were Beaver Warrior and Gildford the Lightning. They fought their way through each creature. Blood splattered all around them along with bubbles of disappearing creatures. Each warrior did what they could to continue down their line, some fell behind, but refused to concede. Each one of them sported their own wounds, but the enemies were falling faster. Jounouchi refused to let any of the enemies prevent him from getting to the castle. Yugi kept side by side with him. Sometimes Yugi shot down an enemy that Jounouchi needed to finish off. Points and levels increased their strength.

"Seto!" Jounouchi and Yugi heard Mokuba scream. "He's taking him."

Jounouchi stopped for a second while Yugi continued to fire arrows. "Mokuba, calm down. We're half way there. Where is he taking him?"

"He took him three doors down from where he was being held. Oh gods. It looks like a tortured chamber. It's the last door down the hallway. I don't know where the stairs are." Mokuba ran back over to the other screen. "Hurry. I don't know if I can watch this."

"Don't, Mokuba," Yugi said softly. "Don't watch it. Take it from me; it's very difficult watching someone you love being tortured." Yugi grabbed Jounouchi's arm and pulled him ahead. "We need to keep moving."

Mokuba did as Yugi said and took his eyes off Kaiba's screen just as Baron strapped the struggling brunet to a chair. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he heard Kaiba's pain filled groans. He wanted to mute the sounds, but he felt guilty enough about not watching or helping his brother.

Jounouchi and Yugi moved faster, drawing further and further from the group. They could see the moat and the drawbridge. A large monster stood in front of the bridge. "Summon Skull," Yugi whispered, attempting to catch his breath. He looked back at the other group. "What about them?"

"They have their own quest. I'm sure they can handle killing the rest of the monsters. We need to get to Kaiba."

As the approached Summon Skull, they noticed that the rest of the monsters didn't follow. The large creature stood before them, not moving an inch until they were a few feet away from it. He reached his arms into the air. The sky darkened and thunder rumbled. Summon Skull screeched and lightening fell from the sky. Jounouchi flipped to the side while Yugi hopped backwards. He jumped a few feet backwards while Jounouchi moved more to the right of the creature. Suddenly it lowered it's arms and stood still.

"Wait," Yugi called right before Jounouchi rushed forward. "It doesn't move if we stand what looks like ten feet away." Yugi loaded an arrow and shot the monster right through the head. It fell to one knee. Jounouchi took the opportunity and rushed forward. With one swift swing, he took Summon Skull's head off and watched it disappear into bubbles. The drawbridge banged before slowly creaking downward.

"Why does that feel like it was too easy?" Jounouchi asked, not wanting to cross the bridge.

"Maybe he doesn't think we would have made it this far, or he's distracted with Kaiba. Either way, I'm not going to let this opportunity pass."

Yugi walked across the bridge and into the empty courtyard of the castle. No enemies hid in the shadows nor was there anything that showed that the castle was used. They walked carefully through courtyard with their weapons draw ready for any attack. They crept quietly until they reached a few feet from the stairs leading up to the front door. "He didn't expect you to get this far," a voice sneered from the top of the stairs.

Purple pants revealed before Witty Phantom smiled wickedly at them. "Move," Jounouchi hissed, raising his sword.

"I can't let you interrupt my master while he's playing with his pet. Well not yet that is."

"What do you mean?" Yugi asked, not liking where this conversation was going. It seemed like Baron had another plan and it didn't matter if they saved Kaiba or not.

"You think I would betray him just to tell you. You'll just have to find out if you make it pass me."

Yugi leaned over towards Jounouchi. "I'll stay and distract him. Once you have an opening, run up the stairs and make your way to Kaiba. Mokuba hasn't talked to us since Baron took Kaiba. I'm worried that he's watching it and what horrible things Baron is doing."

"I can't leave you here," Jounouchi whispered back.

"Someone has to move forward. We can't waste anymore time."

"Fine. Force him over to the right and I'll run pass him on the left."

Yugi nodded, firing the first shot at the elf like man. Jounouchi ran up to him, but the man dodged and jumped out of the way of both of their attacks. It wasn't long until Witty Phantom was at the right position. Jounouchi ran forward as if to attack again, but he changed his direction and ran up the stairs instead. The elf cursed and tried to run after him, but Yugi pierced him through the left shoulder. "You are my opponent," Yugi growled.

Witty Phantom turned to him and tipped his hat. "If that is what you wish. But I warn you, it won't be that easy to get pass me as well." Yugi put his arm through the bow and tied it to his back before reaching for a dagger he had attached to his leg. The elf smirked and summoned a fireball on his hand.

Baron paid no attention to the battle outside his castle. He didn't need much time in order to accomplish the last thing on his list. He knew that there was no way he could prevent them for rescuing Kaiba, but he could try to make sure the CEO never remembered who he was. He smirked at the brunet still struggling against the bonds in his chair. He glared up at the overweight monster and sneered, not sure why he suddenly felt like he hated this monster in front of him. He knew the man was holding him captive, and he was responsible for his lost memories, but the anger seemed to swell deeply inside of him as he if wanted nothing more but to kill him.

Baron moved over to the table directly beside Kaiba. He had to break his will so it would be easier to input the new memory and personality inside of him. He reached for a rod and pushed the button on the bottom. Electricity spiked around the top. He smiled at Kaiba. "I would give you something to bite down on, but this would be more fun." He brought it down on the brunet's shoulder. Kaiba screamed, feeling the surge run through him.

The heart monitor on the pod instantly started beeping. Mokuba stared at it with tears running down his cheeks. His brother's screams echoed through the room. It didn't matter if he watched Baron torturing his brother or not. The screams were enough to scar him for life. He walked over and placed his hand on the window keeping him separated from his brother. "Hold on, Nii-sama." When the screaming stopped, Mokuba still didn't look at anything but his brother's heart monitor, praying that it didn't show a flat line before he was saved.

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Sorry for the slight cliffhanger. I promise to get the next chapter uploaded quickly. Thank you for reading. Please review.

Angel Dove


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry for the cliffhanger. Thank you once again for your kind reviews. We have reached the half way point.

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Chapter Seven

Jounouchi ran through the foyer, ignoring everything around him. He didn't care what decor mounted the walls or what color everything was. The only thing he paid attention to were the circular stairs leading to the second floor. He silently hoped that he could make it in time. "Hold on, Kaiba, I'm almost there." Taking the stairs two at a time, he ignored his need to breathe as he climbed them.

He stopped at the next floor and noticed another set of stairs. "Mokuba," he gasped. "Could you tell what floor he was on?"

Mokuba lifted his hand from the glass. "No. All I know is it was at the end of the hallway."

Jounouchi groaned and looked at the two different hallways. He ran down one of the hallways and kicked down the door at the end. Finding no Kaiba, he continued on. Hallway after hallway and floor after floor, Jounouchi ran until he was on the top floor. He leaned over, placing his hands on his knees and gulping for breath. He stood up straight and noticed that there was only one hallway left. This left one room that Kaiba could be in. He snuck down the room, catching his breath along the way. He snuck a look inside of an open door, noticing that it was the room Kaiba was trapped in. He slowly walked down the hallway and stopped in shock when he heard a loud scream.

The blond carefully moved down the hallway, finally thinking about what he was doing besides just rushing into something. He approached the door and placed his hand on the knob. Turning it slightly he realized that it was unlock. Baron either didn't suspect that they would arrive in time or had a trap set up beyond the door. Jounouchi took a deep breath and gripped the sword tighter. Kaiba's screams stopped for a moment. That would mean that Baron would be anywhere in that room besides near the brunet. "I'm sorry," Jounouchi whispered, knowing that it would be dangerous to burst in without knowing where Baron was.

He waited until the screaming started again before easing the door open. The sight that was before him nearly made him vomit. Kaiba's tunic was full of blood and barely showed its original color. His head was tilted to the side and looked like he barely knew what was going on. Baron pulled the dagger out of the brunet, snapping Jounouchi out of his trance. He didn't want to stab the creature in the back, but he feared that he wouldn't be strong enough to defeat him otherwise.

Jounouchi raised the sword and slowly slid it into the back, gripping his shoulder to keep the creature there. "Game over," he sneered, quickly pulling the sword out of him. He waited for Baron to burst into bubbles and was confused when he didn't do that. Baron chuckled and knelt down in front of him.

The overweight creature chuckled. "You think I needed a long time to make permanent damage to him." He spat blood out of his mouth. "He'll never be the same again and will never enter this world again." Baron raised his hand and slammed it into Kaiba's leg.

Jounouchi launched forward, grabbing the man's hand. He opened the fist and pulled out a syringe. "What did you do?" Baron spat more blood before disappearing into bubbles. "Damn it! Mokuba, he injected Kaiba with something. How are his vitals?"

Mokuba looked up at the machines. "His heart rate is still fast and nothing different with his brain waves. The exit menu is still not working."

"See if you can get it working." Jounouchi said while he untied the unconscious CEO. "Kaiba, can you open your eyes?" The brunet groaned as Jounouchi lied him down on the ground. He opened his eyes for a few seconds before slowly closing them again. "It's okay. You can rest." He gently held Kaiba's hand while he waited for Mokuba to fix the exit menu. What Baron said about permanent damage was causing unrest in Jounouchi's mind. He didn't know what to do. He knew for a fact that Kaiba would never enter this world again, but it didn't make sense that Baron was adamant about that. It wasn't as if this world would continue to live after Kaiba destroyed it.

Heavy footsteps caught his attention. He looked up just as Yugi came running into the room. "Baron?"

"Dead. Witty Phantom?"

"Also dead. How is Kaiba?"

"He woke for a few seconds before closing his eyes again. Baron injected him with something at the last second. I don't know what it was, but Mokuba says his vitals didn't change."

"Let me try to heal him. His breathing is staggered."

Jounouchi nodded, refusing to release Kaiba's hand. Yugi knelt on the other side of the brunet. He opened the menu and stared at the healing. He groaned. "I still can't access my healing powers. I thought with Baron destroyed we could reset the game back to normal."

"I thought the same as you, but the exit menu is still not working. Mokuba is attempting to fix it."

"Until then, let's try to clean him up." Jounouchi stared at him and was about to tell Yugi that it was silly since they weren't in the real world but Yugi cut him off. "I know that sounds ridiculous, but I can't stand looking at him covered in blood. There was a fountain in the courtyard. I'll get water from that."

The blond nodded. "I'm going to look for a room with a bed. I'll leave the door open. I'll start on this floor and go down until I find one."

"Okay." Yugi ran out of the room and down the stairs, he stopped on the first floor and grabbed the wooden bucket he spotted from the top of the stairs on his way down. Walking out into the courtyard, he started filling the bucket with the surprisingly cold water.

He was about to move back up the stairs when he noticed the group of warriors they traveled with standing by the drawbridge. He set the bucket down and walked over to them. "Are you alright?"

"We're fine," Gaia answered. "How is your friend?"

"He's hurt but alive."

"All the enemies have been defeated. We were planning on heading back to our homelands unless you still need our help."

"We'll be fine. I don't think any enemies will be coming back, and if they do, we'll defeat them. Thank you all for your help." Everyone bowed their heads before walking across the drawbridge. Yugi watched them leave before moving over to the system to raise the bridge. It didn't hurt to be safe. He walked over to the bucket and started inside to look for a cloth they could use.

Jounouchi didn't want to leave Kaiba in that room, but he didn't want to hurt the brunet more by carrying him while he looked for a bed. Luckily the room directly across from where he was being held looked like a king's bedroom. The large canopy bed sat in the middle of the room surrounded by wooden dressers. Nothing else decorated the room to indicate if someone used it. The blond returned to the torture chamber and gently lifted Kaiba from the floor. He struggled to balance himself with the CEO held bridal style in his arms. He staggered with Kaiba's height more than his weight until he went into the room and lied him down on top of the black covers.

The blond moved Kaiba's hair out of his eyes, noticing sweat on his forehead. He used his sleeve to wipe it away. "Mokuba, how is it coming?"

"I think I found a way but I have to get it working."

"When you get it working, call for an ambulance. If Kaiba's body in here is going to reflect on his real body, you're going to need medical staff on hand."

Mokuba looked up at the screen from where he sat crouched beside the computer that controlled the virtual world. "Why?"

"He's sweating from I believe an infection. Yugi wants to clean him up."

"That's fine. I'm going to need about ten or twenty minutes."

Jounouchi turned just as Yugi entered the room. "Wow this looks like the king's chambers." He walked over and set the bucket down on the nightstand beside the bed. "Our friends are returning to their homelands. I pulled the drawbridge up to help protect us incase there are any enemies left."

"That's good. We don't need their help now. Mokuba says he may be able to get us out of here in ten or twenty minutes."

"I still want to clean him up though."

"I'm not saying you can't."

"Good. Help me get his shirt off."

Jounouchi walked over to the still unconscious man and lifted him into a sitting position while Yugi pulled his shirt off. The blond grew angry as he looked at the cuts, burn marks and welts lining his upper body. The tri-hair colored duelist walked over to the bucket and rung out the clean cloth he found. He gently dabbed and wiped the blood away. Slowly the water began to turn red and Kaiba's body became clean. "The good news is that there are not too many deep cuts. There are a lot of burn marks and welts."

"Does anything look infected?"

Yugi glanced around and shook his head. "Not on his upper body." He looked down at Kaiba's legs, pulling the skirt up slightly. "Nothing on his legs either." The duelist wiped Kaiba's brow again. "You said that Baron injected him with something. Maybe it has something to do with that. We'll know for sure once we get him to the hospital."

"Are you two ready?" Mokuba's voice echoed through the room instead of their gauntlet like it has been coming from.

"We are. Did you call an ambulance?" Jounouchi asked

"I have the medical staff from Seto's personnel standing by."

"It might feel strange. I'm going to unplug you manually."

"Start with Kaiba," Yugi suggested. "He needs medical attention right away."

Mokuba smiled sheepishly. He had planned on starting with his brother and felt guilty about it, but now he felt better. He walked over to the machine holding Kaiba and unplugged it, this time not getting shocked. The image of him vanished from the monitor before the lid slid open. The medical personnel were instantly at his side, checking his vitals. The raven haired teen moved over to Yugi and unplugged him before doing the same to Jounouchi. Both of their lids opened and they climbed out just as the medics moved Kaiba from the pod to the gurney.

Mokuba was already beside them. "How is he?"

"He looks like he's in a coma even though his brainwaves earlier looked like he was sleeping peacefully. We'll need to get him to the hospital and run some tests. Other than that, he's physically fine. All those wounds you showed us on the monitor did not appear."

"Can I ride with him?"

"Of course, Mokuba-sama."

"Give me one second." He turned and looked over at the other two. "Will you be able to make it out of here okay without me?"

"We can. Get him to the hospital," Yugi answered, waving him off.

"Thank you for everything. Let's go." Mokuba opened his phone and pushed the number three. "Isono, meet us outside. We're taking Seto to the hospital now and I don't want to risk the press knowing until we are certain what is going on. I don't want any speculation," Mokuba said as he walked out of the room.

Yugi turned to Jounouchi, seeing a strange look in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

The blond blinked before nodding. "I'm worried. I was hoping that Kaiba would wake the second his mind was connected to his body."

"Do you want to go with Mokuba?"

"There wouldn't be anything we can do anyway. I doubt Kaiba would want to see me of all people when he first wakes up."

"He saw you in the game, right?"

"Just for a second. I doubt he'll remember. We should get back to the game shop. I'm sure Mokuba will contact us if something happens. If not, we'll call him in a day or two."

"I agree. Do you want to stay over tonight?"

Jounouchi sighed and thought about what he would go home to. He still needed to clean his apartment not to mention go shopping. He didn't have the energy to do any of that nor did he want to be alone for the moment. "That would be great," he answered. He hardly ever spent time at his apartment with working two jobs and spending all his free time with Yugi. He could return to his father's apartment, but he wanted to prove to himself that he was able to live on his own. His father didn't like that idea, and he wasn't going to stop his son from trying. He continued to have the door open for him incase Jounouchi wished to return.

The two left Kaiba Corporation the same way they came, walking. The walk was long and they noticed that night had fallen while they were in the game. The cold night air caused them to shiver when the breeze blew. Neither of them was in a hurry and didn't speak on the way home. They were both worried about Kaiba and hoped that he would come out of the coma.

The game shop was closed by the time they arrived back home. Yugi's grandfather didn't question them besides to ask how Kaiba was doing before letting them go up to Yugi's bedroom. The futon was still on the floor from when Jounouchi slept over last night. The blond crashed onto it, not caring about pulling the blankets up. He was too tired to care about anything. He closed his eyes, listening to Yugi change his clothes before lying down on his own bed. They didn't have to question each other nor tell each other good night. Sleep wouldn't come easily to them and they knew that. All Jounouchi could think about was the syringe Baron injected into Kaiba. What was it and would it affect Kaiba in this world?

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The next chapter will start the second half of this story. I hope you liked the virtual reality. Thank you for reading. Please review.

Angel Dove


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you for your kind reviews. This is the official start of the second half of this story. We are now on the downhill but not without a few bumps along the way.

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Chapter Eight

Mokuba thought the time he spent in the waiting area was torture, but sitting next to the hospital bed that contained his brother waiting for him to wake was worse. It had been two days since Kaiba was released from the virtual world with no signs of waking. The doctors said that he was in a coma but wasn't physically hurt beyond that. They couldn't find anything chemically wrong with him so they assumed that the injection didn't do anything to his physical body. The doctors had trouble understanding everything since they believed that anything that happened in the virtual world shouldn't impact the physical world, but they did what the younger Kaiba asked of them.

The raven haired teen reached for Kaiba's hand and gently wrapped his hands around it. "Nii-sama, can you wake up? You are in the real world now. No one can hurt you here. I miss talking to you and hearing your voice. Please wake up." Mokuba sighed and placed his head down on the mattress. He was exhausted and if it weren't for Isono he would have starved by this point. He refused to leave his brother alone in this hospital room. He didn't know how he would be when he woke up and worried that he would be scared and different, nothing like he used to be.

Isono walked by the guards standing outside of Kaiba's room and set the food tray on the table. "Mokuba-sama, I brought you dinner."

Mokuba raised his head and glanced over at the covered dish. "Tell me that's not hospital food." The head of security opened the lid revealing a hamburger and fries from a fast food place. The teen laughed and pulled the table over to him. "Nii-sama would be furious if he saw you getting me fast food."

Isono sat down in the other vacant chair, looking at his boss. "I guess we'll have to hide the wrappers when you're done." He frowned. "I half expected him to wake up and scream about how unhealthy that food was. Actually, I was hoping the smell would cause a reaction."

Mokuba set the hamburger down with a frown. "He's not reacting to anything. I tried everything. I was thinking about bring Jounouchi and Yugi around to see if he reacts to their voices. I don't really care who the prince or princess is that wakes him as long as they do it."

"I could stop by the game shop and get them today."

The raven haired teen looked at the clock. "I know that Jounouchi works a lot but Yugi should know his schedule. You can ask him the next time they have time to come see Nii-sama."

"I'll leave right now. Remember hide the wrappers." Mokuba laughed as his head of security walked out of the room. If it weren't for that trusted man, he didn't know what he would do without him.

Isono walked out of the hospital and into the car he brought with him. He also didn't know what else they could do to draw his boss out of the coma, but he was willing to try bringing someone new into the room. He knew that Kaiba wasn't a fan of Jounouchi or Yugi, but always hid the fact that he could be friends with them. He drove over to the game shop and walked into the entrance. He was shocked to see that Jounouchi was there with Yugi.

The two looked up at the new customer and instantly held their breath. "How is Kaiba?" Yugi asked quickly.

"Still not awake yet. Mokuba-sama has tried everything to get a reaction from him but he doesn't seem to want to wake. He asked if you two could come by the hospital and talk to him. He's willing to do anything to get Kaiba-sama to wake."

"He thinks that Kaiba will wake when he hears our voices. He might be angry."

"Mokuba-sama doesn't care as long as Kaiba-sama wakes."

Jounouchi sighed and looked back at Yugi. "We can try talking to him."

"When did you want to go? I can arrive for a car."

"We can go now. Let me tell my grandfather that we're leaving."

Yugi disappeared upstairs while the other two waited. "Did they find anything with the injection?"

"No, the doctors believe that it either didn't have enough time to affect his physical body or was meant for just inside the game."

"I don't think that's right. Baron chose to inject him with his dying breath. If it would take a long time to affect his physical body, he had plenty of time to inject him during Kaiba's captivity. If it was meant to affect that character in the game, he would have done it right from the beginning. I think it affected Kaiba, but we can't see it through physical signs. I believe when Kaiba wakes we'll notice what that injection did."

Isono nodded. "Maybe you're right."

Jounouchi heard Yugi's footsteps running back down the stairs. He got up from where he sat beside the register. "Let's go."

Yugi followed behind them, getting into the car that was parked directly out front. They were quiet as they rode to the hospital. Jounouchi didn't want to tell Yugi his theory on the inject because he didn't want his friend to worry more than he had been, but he didn't know that Yugi had already formed his own ideas about the injection. Even though they all had their own theories, they knew that the injection would have done more than just disappeared by the time the doctors examined Kaiba.

When they entered into Kaiba's room, they were surprised to see no get well cards or anything to indicate that his company or the press knew that Kaiba was in the hospital. They knew Mokuba was trying to keep it out of the press, but he was sure that the company knew a reason why Kaiba wasn't showing up at work. Mokuba lifted his head and smiled at them. "Thank you for coming."

Yugi walked instantly over to the teen. "Why don't you lie down on the other bed and get some sleep while we watch over Kaiba?"

Mokuba shook his head. "I want to see if your voices help wake him."

Yugi turned back to Kaiba, already suspecting that his voice wouldn't wake him since he already talked to Mokuba. He placed his hand on Kaiba's shoulder and looked at him. "Kaiba, we need you to wake up. You're worrying everyone and Mokuba isn't looking great. You don't want Mokuba's health being affected by this, do you?"

Jounouchi rolled his eyes at Yugi's peaceful attempt to wake the person, though he knew Kaiba wasn't just sleeping. The blond sighed when Kaiba didn't even budge to Yugi's voice. He walked over to the brunet and loomed over him, not attempting to touch him. "Hey, Kaiba, wake up!" he shouted, shocking the other two in the room and causing the security to glance into the room.

"Jounouchi," Yugi hissed. "You scared me screaming like that. He's in a coma not just..." Yugi stopped, noticing Kaiba's closed eyes starting to twitch.

Mokuba laughed and smiled brightly when Kaiba's eyes slowly opened. He blinked slowly. "Seto?" Mokuba asked quietly.

Isono walked in just in time to see Kaiba's eyes opening. He turned to one of the guards. "Inform the nurse's station that Kaiba-sama is awake."

The brunet turned his head to Mokuba and Yugi. He squeezed his eyes shut, having trouble focusing on them. He didn't quite remember who they were. He looked to the other side and noticed his master standing there. He was relieved that he didn't look as angry as he sounded a few seconds ago. All the memories he had told him not to speak out of term. He took his hand from the youngest one's grip and placed them both on his lap, staring above him. He waited for orders that didn't seem to come.

Jounouchi watched the strange event and looked over at Yugi who had an equally confused expression. Kaiba was awake, but he wasn't acting like himself. In fact, he wasn't even acting like that character he was in the game. He looked over at Isono who had a concern look. He stayed where he was, not wanting to crowd the CEO.

A tall male doctor with short black hair walked into the room with a large smile on his face. "I hear someone is finally awake." He approached the bed and looked down at the brunet. "You had everyone worried, Kaiba-sama. Can you tell me if anything hurts or feels strange?" The doctor checked the monitors, expecting Kaiba to answer. When he got no answer, he stopped what he was doing. "Kaiba-sama, do you know where you are?"

The brunet continued to stare at the ceiling above him, not answering. The doctor sat on the mattress, noticing the flinch. "Can you hear me?" he asked, purposely getting in Kaiba's vision. The CEO blinked and ignored everyone in the room.

"Nii-sama?" Mokuba reached for Kaiba's hand, but he moved it out of reach and placed it under the sheets and blanket.

The doctor sighed and jotted down some notes. "I'm going to schedule some tests for tomorrow. I don't like him unresponsive as if he can't hear us. I'll be back in one hour after I make my rounds to check on him again. If there are any changes have the nurses page me." The doctor rose and walked out of the room, not liking what was happening with Kaiba. It didn't make sense that a coma patient would awake and not say anything nor look at anyone. He figured that the CEO would be curious on where he was and what happened, but the man wasn't questioning.

"I don't get it," Jounouchi whispered.

Isono looked over at the blond. "I agree. I'll be waiting outside. Let me know if anything happens." The blond nodded and continued to stand closer to the door than Kaiba's bed.

Mokuba moved over to the spot that the doctor sat on. "Seto, I don't know if you can hear me, or if you understand what is going on, but I'm going to tell you want I know. The last time I talked to you, you didn't know any of us. Baron held you captive, and you didn't know I was your brother. Yugi and Jounouchi went into the virtual reality world to save you and they helped you escape. Now you are hear in a hospital and just woke from a coma. You are my brother and the CEO of Kaiba Corporation. You inherited the company from our foster father and changed it from a deadly weapons company to a gaming company. You invent video games, gaming systems and theme parks that every child could go to whether they have the money for it or not. You always come off as cold hearted, but I know you are loving person that knows you can't show weakness to those who want to destroy what you worked so hard to build. Seto, please look at me."

Tears glistened his eyes, and he bowed his head. He finally got his brother to wake up, but it was like he was in the coma again. His eyes may be open, however, he wasn't responding like someone that was aware of his surrounds. Mokuba glanced at Yugi before returning back to the seat he vacated. Jounouchi growled. He was frustrated that Kaiba wasn't responding to Mokuba. The raven haired teen was clearly not handling this well and it would make him feel much better if his brother said something him.

"Hey, Kaiba, you're worrying your brother. You need to talk to him."

The brunet turned his head towards Jounouchi and licked his lips. "I will if you allow me," he whispered.

"Why would you need my permission to talk to your own brother?"

"You told me that I am not permitted to speak unless you allow me."

"No I didn't. You are your own person. You don't need me to tell you what you can and can't do."

Kaiba turned his head and stared back at the ceiling. He wondered if his master was either putting up a front because others were in the room or if he was trying to get him to do something he wasn't allowed to do and punish him later. Both cases seemed to make sense, and he wasn't willing to defy his master. Jounouchi watched as Kaiba seemed to shrink back into himself. "Yugi and Mokuba, can I talk to you outside?"

"Okay," Mokuba answered, patting Kaiba on the shoulder before walking out with the others. "What is going on?" he asked the second Kaiba's door was shut.

"This might be what the syringe was meant to do. He thinks I'm his master which is completely different from how he acted in the game. I think since he's responding to me, I should go back in and talk to him without anyone there."

"I don't know about that," Yugi said. He didn't want something happening to either of them.

"No, I agree with Jounouchi. I think he should go inside and talk to Nii-sama. He's the only one that seems able to get Seto to talk. See what you can find out from him, but please don't yell at him or get frustrated."

Jounouchi sighed. "You know that I may not be his friend but that doesn't mean I want to hurt him. I'll come out when I have some answers. Don't let anyone in, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good luck, Jounouchi," Yugi said, biting his lip slightly. He was nervous about everything that was happening. He wanted Kaiba to be back to his normal self without causing any mental harm to either Mokuba or Jounouchi. Jounouchi may be strong, but Yugi wasn't sure if he could handle having someone relying on him for everything. And, Mokuba didn't seem like he could handle much more.

Jounouchi opened the door and walked over to the bed. He sat next to Kaiba. "I want to make this clear. I am not your master, but I want to know a few things so I'm going to ask you a few questions." Kaiba nodded and moved his gaze back over to Jounouchi. "Good. Do you know your name?"

"You haven't given me a name."

"I shouldn't have to give you a name. You have your own name. Do you remember any of your family members?"

"I only know you, Master."

"Don't call me Master."

"May I ask what I should call you then?"

"Jounouchi. My name is Jounouchi. The black haired kid is your little brother. Do you not recognize him?"

"I have not seen him before."

"Do you know where you are?"

"The boy said I was in the hospital. May I ask what a hospital is?"

Jounouchi rubbed his hand on his forehead. "A hospital is where you go when you're hurt. Doctors help you get better. Do you remember being hurt?"

"I don't remember."

"What is the last thing you remember?"

"Seeing your face."

"What was I doing?"

"Leaning over me after my punishment."

"I didn't hurt you. Baron did."

Kaiba frowned. "Baron was my first master."

The blond placed his hand on Kaiba's arm. "Listen. I'm going to say this again. I'm not your master. Baron wasn't your master. You were being tortured by that sadistically bastard. I am your friend and came to rescue you."

The brunet closed his eyes for a second. "I'm confused," he said openly.

"It's okay. We'll help you through everything as long as you stop thinking of me as your master. You are in control of your own life."

"I'm free?"

"Yes. You're free." He noticed that Kaiba's eyes drooped again. He figured that the man was tired since he just woke from the coma but was stubbornly refusing to comply. "You should get some rest. When you wake, Mokuba, your brother, should be here with you." He watched as Kaiba seemed to take that to heart and closed his eyes.

Jounouchi waited a few minutes before walking back outside. "He believes that Baron was his first master and I am his new one."

"Why would he think you of all people?"

"I'm think it has to do with the fact that he saw me first. I tried to tell him that I wasn't his master, but I have a feeling that it'll take some time to break that from him. He doesn't remember anything about this world. We'll have to slowly get him used to this again. I think we should talk to the doctor about his changed memories. Maybe he has something that he could test. It's like Kaiba as amnesia."

Mokuba frowned. "Will he talk to me when you're not there?"

"Truthfully I don't know. I told him that you were his brother and explained that he was his own master, but like I said, we might have to break him free of those memories several times. I have to work tomorrow morning, but I can come back afterwards to check on both of you."

"Will you stay for a little while longer?"

"He's sleeping now. I think he might sleep the rest of the night. His eyes kept shutting while I was talking to him. But, if anything serious comes up, I'll leave my cellphone on so you can call me right away."

"I'll come by in the morning and stay with you, Mokuba," Yugi said.

"Thank you."

"You should get some sleep tonight."

"I think it might be easier now that I know he's awake. Thank you, both of you. I don't know what I would have done without your help."

"Don't thank us yet. We still don't have your brother completely back yet," Jounouchi answered. "Good night, Mokuba."

"Good night." Mokuba turned and moved back into the room, happy to see his brother sleeping peacefully. He curled up on the bed beside him and lied on his side, facing his brother. "Good night, Nii-sama." He closed his eyes and found sleep overcoming him quickly. For the first time, he slept through the night without any nightmares or worry plaguing his sleep.

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Another chapter done. The next chapter should up soon. Thank you for reading. Please review.

Angel Dove


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you for your kind reviews. I'm glad you like the twist. I was trying to hide it and I'm glad it wasn't too predictable.

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Chapter Nine

Jounouchi didn't know why he agreed to these ridiculous plans, but yet here he was sitting outside in Kaiba's large well kept garden with the brunet close by keeping his eyes trained on Jounouchi as if he would disappear at any moment. He sighed and attempted to relax while he watched the cloudy sky move above him. He thought he would be able to get a moment of rest without the brunet following his every step, but he soon learned that if he wanted to hide, it would have to be in the bathroom with Kaiba sitting almost directly outside the door.

He flipped on his side and stared at the rose bushes that cut this part of the yard off from the rest. He glanced at his watch. He would need to leave soon for his part-time job. He always stopped back here between the two jobs to eat something and to check on Kaiba since Mokuba was having a terrible time keeping the board from voting the CEO out. He felt awful for what the teenager was going through, but that still didn't explain why he agreed to stay at the mansion until Kaiba's memories returned. The doctors were very optimistic that they would return. Jounouchi was starting to doubt that logic. Nothing was triggering them and Kaiba seemed to becoming more and more like the slave he thought he was. The blond lost count on how many times he found Kaiba sitting on the stairs right before the front door waiting for Jounouchi to return from work.

The blond sat up and faced Kaiba, staring at him. He didn't know how to explain anything to him anymore. He tried telling him that he would go to sleep and not wait up for Jounouchi to return home since he always got off after midnight. Sighing, Jounouchi rose and dusted his pants off. He couldn't wait any longer before leaving. He walked into the house through the kitchen, knowing that Kaiba would be right behind him. He moved through the dining room and into the foyer to get his shoes. He took a step back and ran right into the brunet. Growing, Jounouchi turned and glared at Kaiba. "Do you always have to be right there behind me? Can't you think for yourself and do whatever you want? I'm not your master nor do I want to be. Stop following me," the blond shouted. He grabbed the door and slammed it shut without even looking at the brunet.

Kaiba stood there with a frown on his face. He bowed his head and slowly walked up the stairs. Master was not pleased with him. He thought he was only doing what Master wanted and staying close to him incase he needed something else. What could Master want with him? He tried everything from tidying the mess Jounouchi would leave to staying awake for him to return just incase he would need something.

The brunet moved up the long flight of stairs. He hated this building. It was large, dark and quiet. Shadows danced in every corridor and room, giving the illusion that something was hiding in the corners. Kaiba moved into the room that the young black haired man said was his. He never sensed any longing to be in the room besides this moment. Everything was a mystery. Objects lined the dressers and desk; things that he didn't recognize. He walked over to the bed and collapsed on it, knowing that the blond wouldn't be returning into late. He had hours to himself in the creepy house. The one called his brother wouldn't be home until late also, and he always went right to his room. Kaiba rolled over and pulled a pillow close to his chest. Jounouchi seemed more irritated this time. Maybe it was time he started giving him some space before he was punished for what he didn't do. "But he might punish me for not being there for him," the brunet thought. It was a winless scenario. He would just have to risk it for a few days. Maybe not being there all the time will help bring the blond to him. Jounouchi was acting completely different from how he remembered him. Kaiba closed his eyes and for the first time since being released from the hospital, he didn't wake in time for Jounouchi to return home.

Jounouchi walked tiredly into the mansion. The restaurant was busy, and he was glad to finally be home. Well, a place that he slept in. He walked up the stairs and entered the room before he noticed that he walked right by Kaiba. He knew he was tired, but he usually had to climb over the brunet. He left his room and walked back down the stairs only to notice it was empty. Panic unleashed in his mind. Did something happen to Kaiba? Was trapping him in the virtual reality world just a decoy until they managed to kidnap him? He ran into Mokuba's room to ask him if he's seen his brother, but the raven haired teen wasn't in the room. Jounouchi bit his lower lip and grabbed his cellphone. He needed to know that at least one of them was alright. The phone rang several times while the blond continued to walk around the second floor, looking in each room.

"Hello," a very tired voice said.

"Mokuba, you need to come home."

"Why?"

"You're going to affect your health if you continue to sleep at the office. I know there is a lot that needs to be done, and Kaiba spent most of his time there, but he wouldn't want you to do that."

"I understand, but I don't want Nii-sama stressing once he gets his memories back."

Jounouchi sighed in relief when he found Kaiba lying in his bed, sleeping soundly. "He'll understand that there is only so much you can do. Come home and get some sleep."

Mokuba sighed and shut the computer down. "Alright. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Good. See you soon." Jounouchi hung up the phone and walked over to the bed. He knelt beside it and placed his fingers on Kaiba's neck, checking for a pulse. He smiled softly and ran his fingers through the brunet's hair. He was glad that Kaiba didn't wait up for him, but oddly missed seeing the brunet right when he got home. He reached for the blanket that was half off the man and covered him fully. He moved the hair from Kaiba's closed eyes and placed a kissed on his temple. He quickly stood up and moved out of the room. He didn't know why he did that, and he didn't want to be caught in the act.

The blond waited until he heard the front door open and close. He wanted to make sure that Mokuba got home safely before he fell into his own bed. He waited outside his door for the tired teenager. "Did you need something?" Mokuba asked quietly.

"I just wanted to make sure you came home safely and to tell you something." Jounouchi paused. "Kaiba didn't wait up for me tonight. He's sound asleep in his room. But..." The blond glanced at his feet. "I yelled at him this morning about constantly following me. I don't know if this is a reaction to it."

Mokuba leaned against his door and sighed. "You yelled at him before and he didn't change. I wouldn't think too much until we know for sure you got through to him. I know it's frustrating you having him constantly looking for reassurance, but please, Jounouchi, don't do anything to make him worse. I want Nii-sama back. I can't stand this submissive person especially since he was always the strongest person I know."

"I understand how you feel. I'll try to keep my anger away from him. You should get some sleep. You look like you can fall over at any second."

Mokuba smiled. "Thanks. Good night, Jounouchi."

The two turned from each other and walked into their rooms for much needed sleep. Jounouchi had trouble sleeping that night. Guilty plagued his dreams. He didn't want to be the person responsible for making Kaiba worse. He finally decided to get out of bed, realizing that he wasn't going to get any more sleep that night. He joined Mokuba downstairs for breakfast, noticing that Kaiba wasn't there yet. The blond frowned and looked over at Mokuba. "I'm sorry."

"I checked on him this morning. He told me he was still tired and lied back down to sleep."

"He talked to you?"

"Hard to believe since he doesn't talk to anyone but you. I think we should wait a few days before thinking anything about this. It might be a faze."

"I have off today from both jobs. I'll keep an eye on him."

Mokuba glanced at his watch and quickly stuffed the rest of his breakfast into his mouth. "I have a meeting in a half hour." He stopped and looked at the blond. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you are doing for us. I know if Seto ever returns to normal he may not thank you, but I want you to know that I'm happy you agreed to this. Thank you, Jounouchi."

Jounouchi smiled and patted Mokuba's hand. "You don't need to keep thanking me. I want to help both of you through this even though I might get angry and frustrated." The raven haired teen smiled and squeezed his hand.

"You're a great friend. I'll try to come home early today."

"Remember don't turn into a workaholic."

Mokuba laughed and waved his goodbye before leaving the dining room. He hated putting all that pressure on Jounouchi, but he couldn't lie to himself. It was nice that his brother finally spoke to him without the blond present or being forced to. He met his driver outside and started going through his schedule for the day. If he managed to get all the meetings to end on time, he should be able to leave before seven o'clock.

Jounouchi sighed and placed his head down on the large wooden table. He was exhausted and wanted to go back to sleep, but he promised Mokuba he would look after Kaiba. He wondered what the brunet was thinking. He hoped that he wasn't getting worse since he yelled at him. Rubbing his eyes, Jounouchi rose and started moving up to Kaiba's room. They needed to talk. It was better to get this over with before he loses his nerve or the brunet came to the wrong conclusions. It felt strange after several weeks of Kaiba following him to be by himself in the hallways.

Slowly creeping his way up the stairs to the second floor, he kept thinking of better things to do and making more excuses on why he should leave Kaiba alone. He fought against that part of his mind. Standing outside of Kaiba's room with his hand on the doorknob, he tried to find an excuse to either go back to his room or check on Kaiba. He opened the door with his eyes downcast. He forced his eyes upward, but what he saw stopped him in his tracks. His jaw dropped and his body instantly started to react.

There on the bed, Kaiba leaned against the headrest completely nude with his legs slowly spreading open. The brunet slowly brought his hand down his chest and rested it on his spread thighs. Jounouchi grew angry that Kaiba would do something like this, but he was far angrier at the fact that his body was reacting and his mind was tempted to take the brunet's invitation. He freed himself from his shock and walked over to the bed. He grabbed the sheets and blankets that Kaiba pushed to the bottom of the bed and threw them over his lower half. He grabbed the brunet's chin and forced their eyes to lock.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not your master and you are not my slave? Actually you are no ones slave. You don't have to offer your body to anyone unless you want to."

"I do want to give it to you."

"Do you? Or, are you trying to find a way to calm my anger from yesterday?" Jounouchi released his chin and watched as Kaiba closed his eyes and bowed his head. He sat down on the edge of the bed and placed his hand on the brunet's leg. "I'm not angry at you. I'm angry at the situation. I don't like seeing you this way. Before you were trapped in the game, you never worried about what others thought of you. You were independent and always working on a project that would improve the video games you created or creating new ones. You were smart, strong and had enough confidence to supply the entire world with. You may not have been the kindest person, but it didn't mean that you were heartless. Several times you helped my friends and me with our problems. Even though you tried to claim it was for your own benefit, we knew differently. I wish you would remember who you were, but we will accept the new you if you never come back as long as you stop thinking you are slave. Think about what I said while I'm gone."

Jounouchi patted Kaiba's knee before getting up and leaving him there. He shut the door and leaned against it with a heavy sigh. He glanced down and groaned at how tight his pants still were. He shifted and started walking down the stairs. He needed to clear his head. He knew he thought Kaiba was attractive and had feelings for him, but he didn't want a relationship with the man that thought he was his master. Plus, if Kaiba ever got his memories back, he wouldn't like the fact that Jounouchi took advantage of his weakness. It was getting harder and harder to resist the brunet's advances. The blond groaned at his train of thoughts realizing that he was making it worst to walk. He stopped halfway down the stairs and decided to return to his room. He needed to handle his erection. A cold shower would be great.

Kaiba frowned and continued to stare at his legs. There was no pleasing his master. "Maybe he is telling the truth and not trying to trick me," Kaiba thought. "Maybe he isn't my master." The brunet pulled the blankets off his legs and moved over to his closet. He opened the double doors and walked into it. There were numerous clothes and shoes that lined the walls. If this was his room like the blond said, he clearly owned a lot of expensive looking clothes. He reached for a black turtleneck and pants. He slid on the slightly tight clothes and walked out of the closet.

The burnet moved over to the standing mirror and looked out himself. The outfit was missing something, but it felt familiar. Deciding to figure that out later, he moved about the room. Every since he arrived, he never bothered to look around for fear that his master would punish him. He opened the drawers of the desk that sat against the far wall. Each drawer didn't have much inside of them besides printer paper, pens, and folders. He moved over to the dresser and did the same thing. The bottom drawer of the large dresser caused him to pause.

There were pictures of him and the raven haired teen that claimed he was his brother. He smiled at the pictures. "Mokuba," he said softly, running his finger along the image of his brother. Some of his memories crept along the edge of his mind. It was like having something on the tip of your tongue and unable to voice it. He moved the pictures about until he found a small black book. Curious, Kaiba picked it up and moved over to the bed. He flipped opened to the first page and ran his fingers along the handwritten words. It was familiar. He read through the first page and stared at it in shock. Biting his lower lip, Kaiba got off the bed and started out of the room. He needed to find the man he called his master.

It took him awhile to finally find Jounouchi who was sitting in his room, staring out the door leading to the balcony. The blond didn't react to the door opening and closing. Kaiba stood there by the door not sure how to confront the man. Jounouchi said that his old self was confident. "If you are not my master, then you must be by lover."

Jounouchi turned around. "Where do you come up with these theories? What would make you think I was your lover?"

Kaiba could feel his heart pounding. He had never thought of confronting his master like this and the fear of being punished was stopping him from yelling at the blond. He was confused and Jounouchi wasn't making it better. He debated on leaving the issue the way it was, but the book had both of their names. Jounouchi walked over to him. The brunet fought the urge to run. He needed answers. "Explain this," he said, throwing the book at the man.

The blond caught it. Whatever was inside of this caused Kaiba to move slightly out of his shell and confront him. He opened up the book and started reading it. He gasped and stared at Kaiba. "Where did you get this?"

"In the room you called mine."

"We're not lovers. We're not even friends. This is your handwriting. It has to be your fantasies." He grabbed the book and walked back to his room, followed closely by Jounouchi. Kaiba pulled open the drawer with the paper and pens in it. Writing the same sentence at the beginning of the book, he noticed that Jounouchi was right.

He turned and stared at the blond. "I don't understand. How could we not even be friends and I wrote something like this?"

"I don't know. We didn't talk to each other about things like this. There could be a chance that you liked me more than you let me believe."

"Do you have feelings for me?"

Jounouchi stared at the brunet. He desperately wanted to be honest with the man, but fear plagued him. He worried that he would scare Kaiba away, but making that announcement when he didn't know himself. "I can't answer that question at that moment."

"Why?"

"I want you to remember who you are first."

Kaiba frowned even though something inside of him fluttered. It was like that one sentence gave him hope that all was not lost. "I understand," he said softly. "You want the real me."

Jounouchi sighed. "It's not that I don't like you this way, but I don't want it to seem like I'm trying to take advantage of you in this state."

The brunet nodded and moved over to sit on the bed. "It makes sense, and I'm sure the real me would appreciate that."

Jounouchi stared at him in shock. It was like Kaiba was trying to understand what was happening. "Thank you for understanding. I'm going to visit Yugi. Do you want to come with me?"

"No, I want to stay here."

"Okay, the maids are here if you need anything and you know how to contact either Mokuba or I."

Kaiba nodded and pulled the blankets down. He wanted to sleep and think without having anyone near him. He needed to figure out who he is and why he was so attached to the blond if Jounouchi claims they weren't even friends. Everything was confusing. Jounouchi watched Kaiba for a few seconds before turning and walking out of the room. He needed to talk to Yugi about everything and was glad that the brunet wanted to stay home. He couldn't believe what he read. It felt like a dream. The old Kaiba clearly had secret feelings for him.

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I myself would love to have a naked real life Kaiba on my bed. Anyone else? LOL Kaiba is finally starting to break free of his shell. Thank you for reading. Please review.

Angel Dove


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you for your kind reviews. We are nearing the end, but don't worry. All the questions will be answered. Kaiba has to remember things first.

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Chapter Ten

Jounouchi left quietly after informing the staff that he wouldn't be there and that Kaiba was in his room. He didn't know how to feel. Hopeful? He had slight feelings for Kaiba a couple years ago, but knew he didn't have a chance. Here he was with a large chance and Kaiba doesn't remember who he was. Did the gods not want them together or was his luck nonexistent when it came to love? The blond open the gates and started down the street. He knew it would take him some time to get to the game shop. He needed time to think and to ask one question. Reaching into his pocket, Jounouchi dialed Mokuba's number.

The raven haired teen answered on the first ring. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing that concerns about your brother's safety. I had a question and please be honest if you know the answer."

Mokuba stopped what he was doing and focus completely on the phone. Something in Jounouchi's voice caused him to give him his entire attention. "What is it?"

"Your brother found something in his room and I want to confirm it. Did your brother have feelings for me?"

Mokuba paused and bowed his head. He knew the answer to that question, but did he trust Jounouchi with it? He always wanted his brother to tell the blond about his feelings, but Kaiba thought it would show that he was weak. Jounouchi stopped walking upon hearing the silence on the phone. It spoke more than anything Mokuba would say. He was about to call the younger man's name when he responded. "What would you do if I told you the truth?"

"It depends on what you say. Right now I'm on my way to Yugi's so you don't have to worry about me confronting him until after I had a chance to talk to my friend."

"I don't know what you found, but it sounds like you found something that tells you that he has feelings for you. He does or he did before he lost his memories. I don't know how strong they are. I found out only because he was writing something. It looked like a story that involved both of you."

Jounouchi started walking again. "He has a whole book of those stories. He must have been looking for clues to his old life when he found it."

"Is he home by himself?"

"Not really. I told the staff I was leaving for an hour or two. I needed to talk to Yugi."

"Does this mean you don't return his feelings?"

The blond stopped for a second before continuing on. "Since you were honest with me, I'll return the favor. I used to have feelings for your brother, but I knew I didn't have a chance so I buried them. Now seeing that I might have a chance, they are rising again. Yugi knows about them and always wanted me to tell him, but I was too stubborn."

"What do you plan on doing about them?"

"I don't know. Right now I don't want to do anything because he's not himself. I don't know what I want to do when he gets his memories back."

"I think you would be good for him."

"How do you know that?"

"Any other person would have taken full advantage of his lost memories. He's rich and powerful. Anyone would love to be in your position."

Jounouchi rolled his eyes. "I didn't fall in love with him because of his money or the fact that he's a genius CEO."

"Why did you?"

The blond blushed and stared at the door to the game shop. "I have to go. Yugi looks like he needs help getting something off the top shelf." He hung up quickly and reached for the door.

Mokuba looked at the phone and a large smile. He was happy to hear that Jounouchi didn't just want his brother's money. He knew the blond wasn't like that, but he felt a hundred times better confirming that. "I wish you could have listening to that conversation, Nii-sama." The raven haired teen placed the phone down and started on a new stack of papers. "How do you put up with all this paperwork?"

Jounouchi walked into the game shop and greeting Yugi who sat behind the counter. "You look bored."

"It's been a slow day. What brings you here?"

"I can't just come and visit you?"

"Not lately. You're supposed to be taking care of Kaiba. Who's with him now?"

"His staff."

"Is that safe?"

"I wouldn't leave him if he wasn't. A lot has changed since the last time I talked to you."

Yugi pushed a chair over to Jounouchi. "Tell me."

"I yelled at him for constantly following me yesterday before I went to my job. Usually he waits for me to come home, but he didn't do it last night. He was sleeping in his bed. I thought he was just too tired to wait up for me, but this morning he didn't come out of his room. After Mokuba left this morning, I went upstairs to see if he was okay. He was waiting there on his bed completely naked. He was trying to tempt me into sleeping with him." Jounouchi stopped, attempting to control his breathing.

"Did you take him up on his offer?"

The blond shook his head quickly. "No. I wouldn't do something like that. He doesn't remember me properly. I walked out of the room after explaining to him again that I'm not his master. I went to take a cold shower."

"Oh, Jounouchi, I didn't know you still had feelings for him."

"It's not your fault. I'm the one that told you I didn't anymore. That's not the worse that happened lately. After I managed to calm myself down in the shower, Kaiba came to find me holding a black book. Inside were sexual fantasies between Kaiba and I. It turns out that Kaiba had feelings for me as well. Kaiba wanted to know if we were lovers, friends or master and slave. He wanted to know why he found something like that. I told him that I didn't write it and it was in his handwriting. He seemed confused and even tried writing a few sentences to compare the handwriting. After that, I told him that I was coming to visit you and asked him if he wanted to come along. He told me he didn't want to. I think he wants to be alone. I don't know what to do, Yugi."

The tri-hair colored man frowned. He felt horrible for his friend. He wouldn't want to be in that situation, and he hated how unfair Jounouchi's love life had been. His first crush was with someone that clearly didn't return his feelings. Then he started crushing on Kaiba who he thought he didn't have a chance with. After he graduated, he tried dating but the first guy he dated only wanted sex and when Jounouchi didn't want to he tried to rape the poor blond. He didn't date after that and now it turned out that the original person he wanted to love did have feelings for him. A tear ran down his cheek. "I'm sorry, Jounouchi. I'm so sorry." He leaned over and wrapped his arms around his best friend.

He put his head on Yugi's shoulder, refusing to let the tears to fall. "What do I do?"

The small man ran his fingers up and down Jounouchi's back. "For starters, you need to calm down and come upstairs for a cup of tea but not Grandpa's special tea." Yugi moved over to the door and flipped the closed sign before walking up the stairs to the house. His grandfather was visiting friends and wouldn't be back later. They were discussing another dig in Egypt that was planned for later that month. He pushed Jounouchi into the chair at the kitchen table before putting some water on to boil.

"Where's Grandpa?"

Yugi smiled at Jounouchi who continued to call his grandfather that. "He's planning another dig with his friends."

"That's right. He is supposed to leave at the end of the month. Are you going to be able to run the shop by yourself?"

"Of course. I've been doing it for a few weeks now already." Yugi placed a cup of tea in front of Jounouchi before walking over to sit across from his best friend. "If you were given the opportunity to have a relationship with Kaiba, would you?"

The blond sipped the tea and smiled softly. "I would like to, but not when he's like this. I want him to be himself again before I try anything."

"The doctor did say there was a chance he won't ever remember who he was. Are you going to wait that long?"

"What if he does remember who he is while we are dating and claims that I took advantage of him?"

"That is a possibility, but if Kaiba had feelings for you, I think he wouldn't push you away. He might be shocked and accusing at first, but I think once he thought about everything he wouldn't claim you took advantage of him. Does the current Kaiba have feelings for you?"

"I don't know."

"Why don't you go back and talk to him? Maybe you could date him or even start hanging out together."

"I don't know if he'll want something like that. It's difficult talking to him."

"It doesn't hurt to ask. If you two start getting along, then maybe if and when Kaiba gets his memories back you'll stay together."

Jounouchi sighed. "I'm not making any promises, but I'll let you know what happens."

"There you go. Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

The blond shook his head. "I think I need to get back soon. Even though I know Kaiba would be safe there, I don't want to risk something happening to him."

Yugi smiled and walked him down the back entrance. "Don't worry about calling me tonight or tomorrow. Let me know in a few days what you decided and what happened."

"I will. And, if you need help while Grandpa is on his dig, I can be there for you."

"I will let you know. Bye, Jounouchi."

Jounouchi moved through the streets as slowly as he walked to Yugi's house. He wasn't eager to return to the mansion. He wanted more time to think. He couldn't lie and say he wanted Yugi to agree to leave Kaiba be, but something deep down inside of him was glad that Yugi suggest that they tried dating. He sighed and found himself outside of the mansion too quickly. He decided that procrastinating was going to get him nowhere. He walked back into the house and nodded to the security officer that was leaving. He walked up the stairs and entered into Kaiba's room.

He found the brunet sitting on the bed, reading the notebook he found. He didn't notice Jounouchi entering until he felt the bed shift. "Does any of that trigger your memories?"

"These stories are very explicit, but I don't remember writing them."

"It's okay." Jounouchi chewed the bottom of his lip before bringing his legs completely on the bed. "I want to honestly tell you something." Kaiba closed the book and placed it on his lap. "I had feelings for you in the past, but I believed that I had no hope of being with you so I buried those feelings. I'm confused now. I don't know what to do. The old you clearly had feelings for me as well but never told me either. When I read that book, I got excited. I thought that there could be a chance and my feelings would be returned. But," Jounouchi started and closed his eyes. "You lost your memories and it's not like I don't like the new you, but I don't want it to seem like I took advantage of you. Like I said, we weren't even friends."

Kaiba handed the book to Jounouchi, cutting off the rest of his speech. "Look at the last entry."

The blond flipped to the end and noticed that it was dated one day before Kaiba got trapped in the virtual world. There was a note at the bottom of the page that caused him to frown. "Maybe if I confess to him, I might be able to stop doing this," Jounouchi read. "You don't remember any of this?"

"No, but it does feel familiar. I now know you are not my master, and you were telling the truth the whole time when you said that no one was my master. I feel like I'm supposed to be doing something at this moment, but I can't imagine what it could be."

"It's probably your subconscious telling you that you should be working. Unfortunately you can't do that until your memories come back. How would you feel if we went places together?" Jounouchi asked, unable to form the word "date." Kaiba remained silent. "I mean. Places that might trigger your memories."

"I would like that."

"Good," Jounouchi said with a smile. "Let's start with lunch and we can walk around the mansion afterwards. Maybe you'll figure something out this time." Kaiba nodded and took the book back from Jounouchi. He placed it in the nightstand for safe keeping. That book, embarrassing as it is, seemed to be the first thing that triggered something deep inside of him. If being around the blond made him feel the way he felt now, why not spend more time with him?

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There aren't too many chapters left. I hope everyone is still enjoying this story. Thank you for reading. Please review.

Angel Dove


	11. Chapter 11

Thank you for your kind reviews. I know I'm going to disappoint a lot of people at the end of the chapter. Sorry everyone Seto is on top. I don't know why I originally did that, but I did. I was mainly ghost writing this and it just went that way naturally. I apologize now for anyone I disappoint.

Warnings: Language and Yaoi (MaleXMale) if you don't like it please don't read after Jounouchi returns to the mansion.

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Chapter Eleven

Jounouchi sighed and walked into Yugi's game shop. Every day off the blond had been spent with Kaiba, talking to him or going places. It had been several months but no place triggered anything inside of the brunet's mind. They tried every place in Domino including Yugi's game shop, Kaibaland and Kaiba Corp. The blond was starting to lose his positive attitude. Besides the progress they made on discovering the book, nothing else was made. Jounouchi was beginning to tire nearly as much as Mokuba.

The blond moved up to the counter and sat down on the stool next to Yugi. "You look tired. Have you made any progress?"

Shaking his head, Jounouchi closed his eyes. "I need more ideas. None of those places you gave me last week triggered anything."

"Do you think he's telling the truth? Maybe he's remembering things and don't want to tell you because it either confuses him or he doesn't believe it."

"I don't think so. When he realized that he wasn't my servant, he had this strange glow in his eyes. It was like a switch being turned on. I haven't seen that since."

The duelist leaned his head against his hand. "I'm starting to run out of places to give you. Actually, I don't think there's anything else in Domino to suggest. I know you can't take him out of the country and I don't even think taking him to the tomb of the final duel would work. To be honest, Jounouchi, I don't have any other place to suggest."

The blond frowned. "I was afraid you would say that."

"And you watched the duels from Battle City that Mokuba gave you?" Jounouchi nodded. "I'm sorry, Jounouchi. I wish there was something more to tell you."

"Don't be. I just have to think of another way." Jounouchi stood and started for the door. He stopped and looked back. "Would I be a horrible person if I said that I loved this Kaiba but miss the old one?"

"I don't think so. Both of them are Kaiba. This Kaiba seems to be the one hidden in the shadows, but it's natural for you to miss the one you fell in love with. He was more outgoing and never let anything to stop him. This Kaiba is more timid and unsure. With your personality you probably would like the old Kaiba better. Remember something, though. If Kaiba is permanently like this, would you be satisfied with him? I know you said you are starting to love this Kaiba. Keep that in mind before you make your decision. Also another thing to keep in mind is what would happen when Kaiba's memories return. You two weren't friends.

Jounouchi frowned. He knew all of that. That was the complete reason why they hadn't done anything but be in each other's company. He sighed. "I am thinking about all that. I want his memories back and with the discovery of that book, I know he has feelings, but I also know he denies a lot of things. I just don't know what to do. Something inside of me screams to kiss him and enjoy his company now while the barriers are down. But, there is also that dread of taking advantage of him. Would he come to me easier when his memories return if I didn't do anything with him? There are so many questions. In the end, I don't want to do anything to make him angry. I would even settle with just being friends."

"I don't think he would be angry with you, especially if he remembers how hard you been trying to get his memories back. Listen, I'm going to tell you something, but don't use it as a solution to your problem until you think things through. It might not be your solution after all." Yugi took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I regret one thing in my life. I should have asked Atemu to stay. At the final duel, when our thoughts were separated, and he gained his own temporal body, I noticed that I had feelings for him. Just in that one match, I truly felt empty without him. But, I couldn't be selfish. We worked so hard to restore his memories and give him a chance to be with his family. No matter what I wanted I had his best interest in mind. I didn't want to trap him here for longer or maybe forever for my own selfish needs. After months passed, I realized that I felt too empty. I really want him back in my life, and no one would be good enough to be his replacement."

Jounouchi walked back over to Yugi and wrapped his arms around him. "I wish there was something I could do for you. I wish I could find a way for Atemu to return or at least for you to communicate with him. I'm sorry I wasn't a good enough friend to see your suffering and help you."

Yugi pushed away from him. "No need to apologize. I didn't want you to see me like that. I knew there was nothing I could do, and I didn't want you worrying about it. I only told you now to help your decision. Whether you take your relationship to the next level or continue to wait for Kaiba's memories to return is still your decision, and I will support you no matter what."

"I still should have seen your suffering. Thank you for all your help and the next time you need help you come to me."

"I always come to you when I need help, but let me work through my feelings for Atemu by myself."

The blond sighed. "Fine," he said in defeat." He looked up at the clock. "I should go. I don't want to leave Kaiba along for a long time."

"Good luck, Jounouchi."

The blond smiled and started his walk back to the mansion. He frowned as he thought about Yugi. All this time he thought Yugi wasn't interested in dating because he basically ran the game shop now. It had never occurred to him that it had to do with his relationship with Atemu. He thought about what Yugi said. He didn't want to regret missing his opportunity to have a relationship with Kaiba without the barriers. He stopped for a moment and looked up at the cloud free sky He knew that no matter what he wanted he would always hold himself below Kaiba. No matter what, he couldn't take advantage of Kaiba. He would wait a little longer; hopefully the CEO will gain his memories back sooner.

Jounouchi unlocked the front gate and waved to the guards. He walked up the driveway and into the front door. He just shut the door when he noticed Kaiba pacing by the door. "What's wrong?"

"I can't believe I trusted you. Are you cheating on me with Yugi or are you cheating on Yugi with me?"

The blond stared in shock. "Neither. Yugi and I are just friends." He didn't know how Kaiba came to that conclusion.

"You always go to Yugi's place and today I saw you hugging him."

Now he understood, but he was still confused on how Kaiba got out without anyone noticing and got home quickly. He supposed that Kaiba could have ran home or even walked. Jounouchi did take his time walking back. "I go to Yugi for advice. He's been telling me the places that might help you remember. Today he told me something that I didn't realize and I hugged him to comfort him. There is nothing between Yugi and me."

"What about us?"

Jounouchi frowned. "It's complicated."

Kaiba growled, making Jounouchi think that he was back to normal. "You said that we are not master and slave. Then you got closer to me. We've never kissed, but I could see in your eyes that you are in love with me. Why are you fighting it? Does it have to do with my missing memories?"

"Yes! You don't remember who you were. You trusted no one beside your brother. If anyone hurt you or Mokuba, you personally made their lives a living hell. If someone working for you didn't meet your high standards, you fired them with no questions asked. You were cold hearted and showed no emotions."

"Then why did you fall in love with me?"

"Because of now. I could see that you were kind hearted. I knew that if I could break through the barriers, I could see this you. I thought that if I showed you my love, you would lower your barriers and allow me in, but I never had the courage. I was a coward and took the easy way out. I want you more than I've ever wanted anyone else. I wish that I had told you sooner." Jounouchi sighed. "There is nothing between Yugi and I. He just told me today that he could never love anyone other than Atemu. He told me that letting Atemu go was the thing he regrets the most." Tears glistened in Jounouchi's eyes as he finally met Kaiba's gaze. "I don't want to regret telling you, but I'm afraid to do what I want to do. I wouldn't be able to handle your anger and hate when your memories return. It's so hard to be around you when all I could think about is..." The rest of Jounouchi's sentence fell against Kaiba's lips. The CEO pushed him against the door, trapping him. They kissed gently, their tongues never explored.

Jounouchi eyes closed and his mind shut down, leaving only the stray thought telling him to enjoy this. He placed his hands around Kaiba's back and ran his fingers up and down his strong back. Kaiba didn't break the kiss until the need for air overcame them. Breathless and staring into the blond's honey eyes, thoughts bombarded his senses. He remembered first entering into school and watching Jounouchi clowning around. He leaned in for another kiss, seeing more and more of his life with each kiss. He couldn't believe that some of his memories unlocked the second he kissed Jounouchi. As each memory revealed itself, Kaiba began to understand why his memories were locked away until they got close. The events always revolved around Jounouchi and his friends and Mokuba. His strongest memories had the blond involved. He groaned, enjoying the sensations of having him close.

Kaiba wanted more and didn't want to scare Jounouchi off by telling him about the memories. "I am selfish person," he thought, pulling the dazed blond upstairs to his bedroom. "I will indulge just this once."

Jounouchi blinked once he realized that they made it to Kaiba's bedroom. His rational mind screamed at him to stop this before it got further, but Kaiba's touch silenced it. Even though he knew it was wrong of him to take advantage of Kaiba in this state, he couldn't stop himself. He wanted to know what it would feel like to be with Kaiba if it were only for one day. He lied down on the bed, reaching up for the brunet who gently lied on top of him, not caring that Kaiba was taking control. Every rational thought remained silent and he didn't question how the brunet knew what to do. They continued to kiss and touch each other over their clothes.

Jounouchi became more bold and slipped his hands under Kaiba's shirt, sliding his fingers up and down his back. He groaned as Kaiba pressed his own erection against Jounouchi's. He couldn't stop himself any longer. He wanted Kaiba more than he wanted to stop. He sat up and pulled the brunet's shirt off before removing his own. He kissed and sucked on Kaiba's neck. He loved the taste of him, something sweet came through the salty taste. He moaned as Kaiba's fingers glided over his nipples.

Kaiba pushed the blond back down on the bed. He attached his lips to his nipples, twirling his tongue and sucking each rosy bud. Jounouchi's hands rubbed his shoulders and upper back. The brunet placed gentle kisses down his chest and twirled his tongue around his naval. Jounouchi moaned, fisting the sheets below him. Kaiba lifted his head and smirked. "Is that hints on where you want my mouth?"

"You fucking tease. You know what I want." Jounouchi reached down and unzipped his own pants.

Kaiba smirk remained on his lips as he ripped the pants and boxers off the blond. Without giving him a chance to think, Kaiba wrapped his hand around the base of Jounouchi's erection and slid most of it inside of his mouth. The blond gasped and lifted his hips slightly but Kaiba pushed them back down. Bobbing his head quickly and sucking strongly, it wasn't long until he was swallowing Jounouchi's semen.

Breathing heavily with a blush over his cheeks, the blond struggled to recover. Kaiba sat beside him, running his fingers up and down his cheek. Jounouchi opened his eyes. "Holy shit," he said, still having trouble breathing and thinking. Shivers still ran down his back. He had never received a blow job like that. He was craving more, but that rational mind was starting to win.

Kaiba lifted himself up and removed the rest of his clothes, not willing to stop. His erection was throbbing. He felt guilty for not telling Jounouchi that everything sexual was unlocking more and more. He felt that if they had sex, he could fully be himself. Plus his awoken need was controlling him more than he thought. Jounouchi pushed himself further up on the bed. Lust reflected in his eyes as he looked at Kaiba's fully nude for. He was in too much control of himself the last time to look. Kaiba was gorgeous with his slightly pale skin and bright blue eyes. He had muscles and a slight six pack that the blond wouldn't have thought a business man would have. He leaned up and ran his fingers along the firm muscles. "Gods you're beautiful," he whispered.

"Not as beautiful as you," Kaiba answered. He opened the drawer that he found the lubricate in several months ago and placed it next to the blond. He wanted to be the one on top and it seemed like Jounouchi didn't mind. Coating his fingers, he leaned down to kiss the blond deeply, this time pushing his tongue pass his lips. He distracted the blond while he pushed one finger pass the ring of muscle and inside the tight warm cavern. He closed his eyes enjoying the sensation that his finger was experiencing, unable to wait to feel it himself. "You are so tight."

Jounouchi groaned and wrapped his legs around his waist. "Need you," he whimpered. "Hurry."

"Patience." Kaiba's voice was husky but soft. He added a second finger, trying to keep control of his mind so he wouldn't hurt Jounouchi. He slid his fingertip against his prostate, causing the blond to jerk and moan. Sweet glistened on his flushed skin, and he was thrusting his body in time with Kaiba. It wasn't long before Jounouchi was reduced to a blabbering mess. He barely even noticed when the brunet added a third finger. He stretched the blond longer than he thought was necessary, but he was soon finished and looking down at his panting lover.

Kaiba wasted no further time before coating his own member. He stared down at Jounouchi, admiring his beauty. "Ready?" he asked, receiving a nod from the blond. Jounouchi didn't trust his voice and wanted to feel the pleasure that Kaiba started. The brunet pushed himself gently into his lover, stopping once he was fully inside, ignoring the urges to move. It felt hot and tight around him. The blond breathed evenly, keeping his attention away from the pain. Kaiba shifted a little and Jounouchi gasped, opening his eyes. He moaned, feeling Kaiba shifting again.

"Gods, Seto, move!" The brunet smirked, pulling out slightly and pushing back in the tight cavern. It wasn't long before they had a fast pace, causing the bed to shift quickly with them. Nothing mattered but their own desires. Kaiba lifted Jounouchi's waist and flipped him over. He pulled his hips up and pushed back in quickly. The blond buried his head into the pillow, gripping the sheets tighter. He could hardly do anything beside ride the waves with his lover. He gasped and moaned Kaiba's name, encouraging him to go faster and harder. The brunet's hand snaked around Jounouchi's body and pumped him in time with their rapid movements. It wasn't long before the blond released all over Kaiba's hand and sheets. He had never had an orgasm that strong before.

Jounouchi collapsed in a boneless huddle on the sheets, feeling nothing but peace and Kaiba's last few thrusts. Kaiba groaned, releasing inside of the blond and feeling relax and whole. He gently pulled himself out, lying on the bed beside the blond. He pulled him into his embrace and snuggled with the one he loved for several years. No words were needed to express what they felt. Sleep claimed them quickly, neither one of them caring about the mess they were lying in. The world revolved around them as they happily slept in each other's arms.

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Two more chapters left. Thank you for reading. Please review.

Angel Dove


	12. Chapter 12

Thank you all for understanding about who gets to top and also for your kind reviews. We are nearing the end of the story. I know it makes me cry also. Most of your questions will be answered in this chapter.

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Chapter Twelve

Jounouchi awoke, confused on where he was. He didn't remember the night before nor which room he was in. He felt drained and satisfied. His body wanted nothing more than to fall back to sleep. He suddenly sat up, hissing at the soreness. He remembered having sex with Kaiba. Guilt plagued him as he looked at the empty bed beside him. He pulled his legs up and rested his head on his knees. How could he do that? Kaiba was going to hate him for life. There was no way he could look at the brunet the same again. Kaiba would never love him after he remembered. A tear ran down his cheek before he decided to get up. He needed to prepare for his quick departure. Even though he didn't know if Kaiba had his memories back, he couldn't chance it.

The blond quickly picked his clothes off the floor and ran into his own bedroom. He got a quick shower and packed everything in his room. He had work that day, but he already knew he would call in sick. He wasn't in the right state of mind. Plus, he may have to move everything back into his apartment. He knew Kaiba or even Mokuba would help him, but he wanted to do everything on his own. He glanced about the room he started calling him home. He sighed and moved out of it. He had to find Kaiba and explain everything. He believed that Kaiba had his memories back, considering that he wasn't still in the bed next to him.

Fear plagued his thoughts as he moved through the mansion, checking every room for the brunet. He didn't know what he would say to the man when he found him. He suspected it would have to be after he saw what state Kaiba was in. He was just about to give up on finding the brunet and returning to his bedroom to wait for him to pass when he decided to check the office. Kaiba hadn't stepped foot in there since he lost his memories. He gently opened the door and stared in shock. Kaiba was sitting behind his desk with a cup of coffee streaming in front of him as he typed away on the keyboard.

"Good morning, Jounouchi," he said, stopping what he was doing and sipping the coffee. "Did you sleep well?"

"You remember?"

"Everything up until the last two days. I guess I should be thanking you and Yugi for coming to my aid once again."

"No need. We'll always help you when you need it." Jounouchi didn't know whether to count his blessings or despairs. Kaiba didn't remember that they had sex, but he would have seen the signs of it when he woke. "When did you get your memories back?"

"It's not clear since I don't remember anything before walking into this room. I remember us leaving the park and then nothing until I was facing this desk."

"The park was two days ago, but how do you know that it was two days ago?"

"Mokuba found me in here before he left. He told me that the park was two day ago."

"I see. Are all your memories back besides those two days?"

"Hard to tell, Jounouchi, but I do remember my past, everything I was working on and how to run my business. I don't think there's anything I forgot. I even know what happened in the virtual world."

"Do you think you know how Baron was created?" Jounouchi asked, sitting in the chair directly in front of Kaiba.

"Oddly enough I do. Would you believe a power surge combined with the glitch that loaded me as the NPC and not the knight? I didn't think it was possible for something like that to happen. There was no signs of anyone hacking my network or anyone uploading anything. I think it was a strange circumstance. Baron is gone. I've already deleted everything he created and influenced. In fact, I was thinking about scrapping the whole thing. To many bad things happen when it is involved."

"I'm sorry. I know how much you wanted to create a working virtual reality."

"I'm willing to give it up in order to protect people. What are you planning on doing now that my memories returned?"

Jounouchi frowned. "Since you have them back now, I'll go back to my apartment. I was only staying here to help Mokuba keep an eye on you. I'm sure my apartment is filthy, though, so I might leave soon in order to clean it up."

"I could hire someone to clean it for you."

"That's okay. I can do it myself."

Kaiba reached into his drawer and pulled out a small stack of money. He placed it in front of the blond. "Please take this."

Jounouchi shook his head and pushed it away from him. "I don't need your money."

"I know that, but I disrupted your life and probably caused all the food that was in your house to perish. It would make me feel better if you took it and at least restocked your apartment with food. There should be enough there to do that."

The blond sighed and reached for the money, knowing that Kaiba would stubbornly push it on him. He was right about the non-exist food in his apartment. He brought some of it to the mansion and threw away the rest. At least the CEO wasn't forcing a large sum of money into his hands. He rose from his chair and held out his hand to Kaiba. "Can we be friends now?"

The brunet nodded and shook his hand. "I believe we can. Thank you for everything you and Yugi did."

Even though it was odd hearing the gratitude from the CEO, the blond appreciated it. He smirked. "Any time. I'll get my things packed and head home."

"I can arrange for someone to drive you."

Jounouchi was going to deny it at first, but he thought about all the boxes. It would be difficult walking with them or using public transportation. "I would like that. Thank you."

"They'll be waiting for you when you're ready."

The blond nodded and exited the office. He didn't want it to seem like he was ready by leaving quickly, and he needed to clean up Kaiba's bedroom. If Kaiba didn't remember them having sex, he was determined to hide it. He grabbed the clean sheets from the linen closet before making his way back to Kaiba's room. Quickly stripping the bed, Jounouchi replaced the sheets and pillowcases before making the bed. He walked over to the laundry shoot and threw everything down it. Finally feeling better now that the evidence was successfully hidden, Jounouchi made his way back to his room.

He picked up the boxes and made his way to the first floor. He fought the urges to walk back to the office and confess his feelings. When he opened the front door, two men walked up to him and helped him with the boxes. They loaded them in the back of trunk while Jounouchi took one last glance at the mansion. He got in the car and told the driver his address. He wished he had the courage to confess to Kaiba, but he didn't want to risk their new found friendship. Maybe in due time he could try again.

Kaiba stared at his computer screen, knowing that when he finally moved, Jounouchi would no longer be there. He didn't want to lie to Jounouchi, but he also didn't want pity from the man or cause him guilt. He remembered the night before very clearly. It was the best night of his life. When he woke the next morning wrapped in Jounouchi's arms, he was tempted to stay there; however, the guilt that Jounouchi might feel caused him to move out of the room. He thought of all the different scenarios that could occur and none of them ended well. In a fantasy world, he could tell Jounouchi that he remembered everything and they would live happily ever after. But, that rarely happened in reality. In order for him to truly know if Jounouchi loves him, he had to let him go. If the blond returned then they were meant to be. At that moment, he had to hide his feelings and pray that Jounouchi would return to him. He stared at the notes from the virtual world. Apparently Baron didn't believe Jounouchi and him would ever have sex thus stopping him from gaining his memories back. He nearly revived himself, but Kaiba was able to stop him from taking over once again. Even if he could completely remove Baron from the world, he didn't trust that something like that wouldn't happen again. It would be safer to destroy everything. He stood and stared out the window. He already felt empty without Jounouchi.

The blond's apartment wasn't as dirty as he thought. It didn't take him long to clean everything, unpack and go shopping. His work accepted his fake illness, and he managed to finish all his chores before nightfall. He sat in his living room staring at the black screen of his television. Normally at this time, he would be watching the evening news. He kept telling himself to move and turn the television on, but his limbs refused to listen. He gave up eventually and just sat there. He already missed Kaiba and wondered if he made the right decision. He lied down on the couch, knowing that he would talk to Yugi the next morning.

Jounouchi didn't know when he fell asleep, but he woke the next morning with a terrible pain in his neck. He groaned and sat up, rubbing the pain out of his neck. He moved slowly through his apartment, taking a shower and getting ready to leave. He didn't feel hungry or had any other desire. He left and started the long walk to Yugi's. Normally he would take the rail and walk a short distance, but today he felt like walking. He thought that he would be able to clear his clouded mind, but with each step, he felt more and more confused.

He didn't even know why he was desperate to talk to Yugi. Maybe it was the guilt of what he did, and he wanted to confess his wrongs to someone. Maybe it had something to do with his failing mental strength. Neither thought made anything easier. It took him nearly two hours to get to Yugi's game shop. He found himself staring at the open sign as if it was sentencing him to his death. He didn't know how Yugi would react and was debating on hiding everything.

Jounouchi shook his head and walked into the shop. No matter what went through his mind, he knew that Yugi would always support him. The smaller man sat behind the counter like always. This time he was reorganizing his deck. He smiled at Jounouchi, not liking the look on his friend's face. He picked up his cards and placed them under the counter. "You look like you could use some of Grandpa's special tea. Sit here and watch the shop while I make it."

The blond sighed and sat down on the stool he usually sat on. Grandpa's special tea always had a spot of alcohol. He normally didn't like it because alcohol brought back horrible memories of searching desperately for food during his childhood and only finding empty beer cans, but that day and like a few times in the past, he felt like he needed it in order to calm his shaking nerves. Yugi returned a few minutes later, putting the steaming drink in front of him. Jounouchi sighed and took a sip. "You don't have to tell me until you're ready."

The blond shook his head. "I need to confess."

"Don't talk like you did something wrong. If it has to do with your feelings for Kaiba, you didn't do anything wrong."

"His memories are back."

"I would say that's good news, but you don't seem happy about it. What happened?"

Jounouchi groaned and placed his head on the counter. "When I got back to the mansion after talking to you, he thought I was cheating on him with you or cheating on you with him. He saw us hugging that day. I explained to him what was happening and we kissed. Oh gods, Yugi, it was wonderful. The feel of his lips, his tastes, everything felt right. The guilt that I felt that morning was gone and I wanted more. I craved for more. We ended up having earth shattering sex. I awoke the next morning to an empty bed. Kaiba was in his office working on things for his company. He told me he remembered everything up until two days before. He said that his memories came back when he entered that room. He doesn't remember us having sex and I didn't tell him. I cleaned up the evidence and left that morning. I feel guilty for what I've done and don't want to tell him. He'll hate me."

Yugi listened to his best friend. He hated seeing him in pain. "I doubt Kaiba would hate you, especially since his book showed that he loved you. At the worst he would be upset, but that's not what I think. I think he would be more upset that you didn't tell him or talk to him about it. What happens if he does remember those two days? Are you prepared to tell him then if he confronts you? Has your feelings changed?"

Jounouchi frowned and stared at the door. "I love him more than anything. I want him to be happy even if it's without me. But..." the blond sighed. "What I want more than anything is to be with him. I want to have sex with him again. I want to wake up each morning wrapped in his arms and fall asleep listening to his heartbeat. Why can't I tell him that?"

"You fear rejection. I still stand by what I said. I don't want you to regret not telling the one person you love how you feel. I think you should talk to Kaiba. See how he feels. If anything you would have the same relationship you had with him before."

"We became friends."

"When?"

"The morning I found him in the office. I could be risking that if I tell him."

"I think you are making excuses. You need to go to him today or tomorrow and tell him how you feel."

"He's probably busy trying to get his life back in order."

"Stop making excuses, Jounouchi. I'm giving you a due date of the end of the week. You must tell him what happened and how you feel. Accept whatever he says. He won't hate you."

Jounouchi looked up at Yugi. He was not used to Yugi getting upset or speaking that firmly to him. He understood what his friend said and wanted to do what he ordered. He sat up straight and drained the tea. "I will do what you ask tomorrow. By then, Kaiba should have already reviewed everything that happened and have his life back on track. I'll call you after I talk to him."

"You don't have to, but remember that at the end of the week I'll call you unless you call me sooner. Good luck, Jounouchi, and like I said before, don't let anything get in your way."

The blond nodded and started for the door. He wanted to thank Yugi for his advice, but his words refused to come out. He knew that he wouldn't have to say anything to his friend. He sighed and started back to his apartment, this time taking the rail like he usually did. He wanted to think about what he wanted to say to Kaiba. He didn't want to mess up what might be his only opportunity.

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One more chapter left. I should have it uploaded in a day or so. Thank you for reading. Please review.

Angel Dove


	13. Chapter 13

Thank you for all your kind reviews and sticking with me to the end. Here is the end of this story. I hope you all liked this story.

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Chapter Thirteen

Jounouchi entered his house late in the evening. It had been several days since he confessed to Yugi. Yugi's words weighed on his soul, but he couldn't get the courage to call Kaiba. He hated that he feared the CEO's reaction. This wasn't like him. Usually he didn't care what other's thought. Scratch that. He cared what Kaiba thought of him. He had this chance to be with him, and he refused to mess everything up. He glanced into his nearly empty refrigerator. Nothing looked appetizing to him. He reached in his pocket, just about to order take out when it rang. He glanced at the screen and groaned when he saw Mokuba's name. "Hey, Mokuba."

"You picked up this time."

"Sorry, I've been busy with work and cleaning. Did you need something?"

"I wanted to thank you for helping Seto. You were gone before I got home that day. Seto said that you two became friends, and you wanted to go home and get your life in order. Does that mean that you'll be coming over more often?"

"I don't know. We aren't that close of friends. I just think it's more of an understanding than a friendship."

Mokuba sighed. "Did he say that or did you come to your own conclusion?"

"He didn't say that. Why do you ask?"

"He seems to be depressed."

Jounouchi stopped what he was doing and sat down on the nearest chair in his kitchen. "How so?"

"Normally he hides his feelings but lately he seems to mope more. Several times I found him staring out the front window as if waiting for something. When I question him, he tells me that it's nothing. Did he say anything to you before you left?"

"No, he was acting normal. Has he remembered those last two days?"

"He hasn't said anything. The doctor thinks that maybe they are lost forever. He wasn't bothered by that news. It's like he's hiding something."

The blond frowned, wondering if Kaiba remembered and just chose not to say anything. "Could he be in denial?"

"No. He's just not reacting like he normally does sometimes. I think he misses you and is too stubborn to tell you. Will you talk to him?"

Jounouchi paced around the room. "I don't know. The last time I checked he was busy. I don't want to bother him."

Mokuba sighed. "So you're both avoiding each other. What happened the day you left? I get the feeling that you are both hiding something."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I promise to talk to your brother tomorrow."

The raven haired youth smiled. "Thank you, Jounouchi. I'm sorry again for asking you to do something for me, but he's so close to being my brother again."

"You do realize that he's still your brother even though his personality may have changed."

"I know, but I also want what is best for him and that means you. I think he needs you right now. Will you help him once more?"

Jounouchi sighed, not wanting to hurt Mokuba's feelings. "Okay. I'll help if I can. I'm not making any promises. He might still be the same after I talk to him."

"I know. I just think he really wants you. Call me after you talk to him."

"Okay. Good night, Mokuba."

"Night, Jounouchi."

Jounouchi hung up the phone and let it slip from his hands. It clattered to the floor. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to continue to avoid Kaiba, but he also wanted to help Mokuba. He knew what it felt like to want to do anything for your sibling's happiness. He risked a lot to get the prize money for Shizuka's operation and put on a brave face for Yugi when he thought he missed his opportunity. No, he wouldn't avoid Kaiba any longer. He had a day off from his jobs the next day. He was sure he would find Kaiba at Kaiba Corp.

That night Jounouchi was unable to sleep. He didn't know what he would say and even standing outside Kaiba Corp., he still didn't know what he should do. He was sure he'd think of something by the time he saw the CEO. He walked into the front door and up to the front desk. He smiled to the black haired woman. "Is Kaiba Seto here today?"

"Are you Jounouchi Katsuya?"

"Yes."

"Let me see some identification."

Jounouchi reached into his wallet for his photo identification and handed it to the woman. She took it and wrote something down. She handed the card back to him before holding up a plastic keycard. "Kaiba-sama is downstairs in the virtual lab. Slid this card in the elevator over there and hit B4. Clip this on your shirt when you're not using it."

"Thank you." Jounouchi walked over to the elevator and slid the card. He wondered if Mokuba told Kaiba that he'd be coming or just the woman at the front desk. He only waited for a few seconds before the doors opened. He pushed the number remembering doing the some thing when he came with Yugi originally to help Kaiba.

The doors opened and he walked into the large lab. Kaiba's coat sat on the chair by the computer. He looked around and saw the brunet's legs sticking out from under one of the pods that sat up on what looked like a car lift. "You were serious about destroying this."

Kaiba slipped out from under the pod. He had dirt and grease all over his hands and face. "I said that I didn't want anyone getting hurt because of this." He got up and wiped his hands on an already dirty cloth. "What brings you here?"

"Checking up on you. I thought you had people that could destroy that for you. Why are you doing it yourself?"

"Trust issues. I don't want to risk someone taking any part of this technology."

"You could always still be there and supervise."

"I'd rather do this personally. If that's all you needed then I would like to get back to work. I want to get this to the dumpsters for pick up tomorrow."

"I would like to talk more to you. Mokuba is worried. He says that even though you are more like yourself, you seem more depressed. Is something wrong?"

"No. I've been thinking a lot especially with how I wanted to destroy this thing."

"Something about that I don't believe," Jounouchi said, sitting on one of the chairs. "I've seen you thinking before, and you still responded to everything around you. Do you want to try to think of something else?" Kaiba glared at Jounouchi. "There's the famous glare. I thought we were friends. Friends talk to each other."

"I remember."

"What?"

"I remember those last two days."

Jounouchi frowned. "I'm sorry. I should have told you. I understand if you don't want to be friends anymore."

"I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself. I should have waited longer. I wanted you to come to me on your own. I was sure that if you had no guilt and strong feelings for me then you would come to me."

"You are the smartest idiot ever! I can't believe you! Of course I would feel guilty. I tried for so long not to take advantage of you. Pretending that you didn't remember would not free me of my guilt. It just caused further unrest. I debated for days on telling you the truth, fearing your reaction. And now, not only do you tell me that you remember and you're okay with this whole thing."

"Don't be angry."

Jounouchi chuckled. "I'm not mad. I just can't believe us. We were both protecting each other and ourselves when we didn't have to. I'm extremely relieved. I'm glad you're not angry with me. Would you like some help destroying this thing? I want to help you."

Kaiba looked around at everything. "Sure. You can work on the main console while I continue on the pods. Detach every wire inside and out. Use whatever to pull everything apart and cause as much damage as possible."

Jounouchi smiled. "Oh trust me. It won't have a problem damaging things."

Kaiba chuckled before sliding under the pod again. The blond walked over to the large computer that controlled the virtual reality. He started by unplugging everything outside and pulling the plugs free from the devices. Using a screwdriver, he tore the devices apart. He could tell by the different piles that Kaiba already started that he had been down there for awhile. He separated the wires, screens and metal objects just like Kaiba. It took them several hours to completely detach everything. Neither one of them spoke or paused for anything but a drink of water.

It was late at night when they started moving everything out of the room. Kaiba led Jounouchi down several hallways until they reached a large elevator. "This will take us up to B1. That's where everything broken is stored until my security and private contractor come for the garbage. There will be three large dumpsters to put all of this in."

"If there is something else you need to do. I can handle doing the clean up."

Kaiba looked at his watch and shook his head. "Everyone but security is gone for the day and Mokuba is at a friend's house for the night. I have nothing to do that couldn't wait until the morning."

"Okay."

The elevator rides were quick and it took them several trips to remove all of the technology from the room. When they move the last of it all that was left were dirty floors. The two stood in the doorway of the room that changed their lives. Kaiba couldn't believe that his dream of having the best virtual reality world was nothing more than a fantasy. He felt depressed and glad at the same time. He had worked on this technology since he took over Kaiba Corp and finally it was destroyed. The temptation of attempting to fix the device was gone. He knew that there was no way he would build it again by scratch. He conceded defeat and he could start working on a new project.

Kaiba sighed and turned to Jounouchi. "The cleaning staff can handle the rest. Do you have to work tomorrow?"

"No, but I do have to work the following morning."

"I can drop you off on the way home."

"I actually had a different idea."

Kaiba stared at him. "Oh?"

"Do you have a shower in this place?"

"In my office, why?"

Jounouchi pulled on his hand and got into the elevator. He hit the top floor, kissing Kaiba deeply. "All that heavy lifting has left me sweaty. Do you want to join me in the shower and then we can go out to get something to eat?"

Kaiba groaned and pressed Jounouchi against the back of the elevator. "How about we order take out and dine in at the mansion or your apartment that way we can play all night?"

"If we are playing a baseball game then we passed first base already." Jounouchi smirked evilly. "Sex in the shower here could be second base and my apartment will make it a homerun. We can even switch pitchers along the way."

"I disagree. Sex at your apartment will only be third base with no stealing home and then sex in the limousine will make it a homerun. Alternating pitchers sounds fun. I have a lot of interesting ideas."

Jounouchi groaned, feeling his pants tighten. The doors opened and he pulled Kaiba out of the elevator. "Play ball," he said, running for Kaiba's office. The burnet chuckled and ran after his lover. Now he felt complete.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

There's the end. I may be able to get a one shot uploaded on Seto's birthday and Halloween, but I can't make any promises. I'm not sure if I'll have enough time to work on it. Thank you all for reading. Please review.

Angel Dove


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